Stand Together and Smile
by KnightEstoc
Summary: Chance meetings can sometimes change a life. But who would have thought that just by meeting a cute girl at the train station, Kazuto's life would change this much? (Kirito/Harem)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

 **June 13th, 2018**

"Bye, Yuuki! See you tomorrow!"

Asuna Yuuki smiled and politely waved goodbye to her classmates as they all ran from the room. After the door slid shut behind the last one, her hand faltered and fell to the desk limply. "...Aahhhn!" A yawn slipped out before she managed to cover her mouth, and she looked around to see if anyone had noticed. To get caught yawning like that in public...! Mother would be so embarrassed.

Not that it was really her fault, she reasoned. She needed to stay up late studying the night before, after all. And she was glad she'd done so, since some of the material she reviewed last night had shown up on the test. If she'd slacked off like she wanted to, then she might have gotten those questions wrong and her grades would have slipped. But this way, she'd do well, and hopefully make Mother proud.

Asuna quickly jotted down the last of the notes that she'd been in the middle of writing down before placing everything in her bag properly. Now that that's done, it's okay to let herself rest for a bit, she decided, and indulged in a few seconds of stretching luxuriously before standing up and gathering up her school bag. She didn't want to miss the train because she was too late.

She shouldn't have worried about being late, though. Even after reaching the station and waiting for a few minutes, the train hadn't arrived yet. Sitting on the bench at the train station, bag by her side, Asuna wondered if there'd been a delay of some sort earlier in the line. Either way, she thought, she just had to wait patiently and it would arrive. She was good at being patient. Occasionally, a little yawn slipped out of her mouth, and she realized she kept rubbing her eyes sleepily. What was _wrong_ with her?! She'd only stayed up late for a few days in a row, she shouldn't be this tired!

The announcement finally played and she hopped off of the bench. Clutching her bag in both hands, the young girl waited properly behind the yellow line, and then got in the train and took a seat primly. The rest of the train filled up quickly as the other passengers filed on. Fortunately, Asuna was small enough that she didn't feel crowded.

"The doors are now closing. The next stop is..." Asuna hummed happily to herself, idly kicking her legs as the train speaker rattled off the next station. She rode this line a lot, so she knew when her stop was. In fact, she could just sit back and relax. Asuna knew there were several stops before she needed to get off.

There was just something about the gentle rocking of the train that seemed so calming. The warmth from the afternoon July sun felt like a calm embrace, wrapping around her, and Asuna felt her eyes start getting heavy. She blinked a few times, trying to keep her eyelids from drooping, but it just got harder and harder to keep her eyes open... She shook her head and sat up straighter, instead of letting her head fall.

Try as she might, the intervals between when Asuna's eyelids closed and when she was able to open them again just got longer... and longer... and...

...

"Attention passengers. This is the last stop. Please disembark from the train."

Asuna jolted awake and lifted her head from the back of the train seat. The young girl rubbed at her eyes and got to her feet, grabbing her bag and walking off the train on autopilot. As the doors slid shut behind her and the train started moving, the sleepy girl blinked blearily.

...And then realized that she had no idea where she actually was. Asuna looked around, sleepily confused, but even after a second look the train station didn't change into the familiar one that led home. Instead of the familiar coffee shop, there was an ice cream stand off to her right, and a bookstore she didn't recognize was in front of her. The exit to the station was on the wrong side, too. With a rush of cold surprise, Asuna realized that she'd fallen asleep on the train and missed her stop! And now she didn't know where she was, and she didn't recognize anything, and she turned around to see the last train disappearing down the line.

Her lower lip trembled for the barest instant before she nodded once. N-No, no, she was a big girl. Think, Asuna, she told herself. What could she do? She didn't carry a cell phone, her mother wouldn't allow her to have one just yet. So, calling home was definitely out of the question. Asuna walked over to the bench at the train station and plopped herself down, setting her bag by her side.

She was a big girl, so she could figure out what to do all on her own. Briefly, she wondered if she should just wait until the next train came, but Asuna knew that wouldn't work. Should she try walking home? But she didn't know where this station was, or how long it would take... And she didn't have money to ride the bus... And she didn't know anyone to ask for a ride...

No matter what Asuna thought of, there was always some reason it didn't work. She drew her legs up against her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees, curling up into a little ball. She had to get home soon, or she'd miss dinner, a-and make her mother mad... Her eyes burned suspiciously, and Asuna sniffled.

Asuna was a big girl, and big girls didn't cry. They didn't cry. They didn't... didn't cry...

Big girls didn't get lost either, did they?

* * *

Kazuto Kirigaya let out another sigh and shoved his hands in his pockets. The sun was starting to go down, and if he didn't head back soon, he'd be late for dinner, but he kept wandering around anyway. Even though his legs were starting to get tired, he didn't really want to go back to that house.

Four hours had already passed since he left the house without telling his mother or little sister... Or, rather, his aunt and his cousin. Finding out that he'd been adopted, and that the people he'd spent his whole life calling mom and dad were his aunt and uncle, had shocked him to the point that he hadn't even thought to take his treasured bike with him. Kazuto just ran out the door and started walking more or less aimlessly.

His feet led him down streets and routes he knew like the back of his hand, growing up in the area, but things seemed different now that he knew the truth about his parents. Kazuto didn't _like_ feeling different like that. If everything was just gonna remind him that he was adopted, then maybe it would be better to just hide in his room. That computer he'd built... A new game had just come out, right? He could just go play that for a while, until he felt like he could face Sugu and his mom properly...

He reached the train station and considered what he should do. Go home? Stay out and take the train somewhere? His stomach groaned quietly in complaint, and Kazuto sighed. Just as he had made the decision to turn around and head home to get dinner, he heard the quiet sounds of someone sniffling and crying.

Now, Kazuto was a quiet boy, and he tended to keep to himself more than most. But even still, he was still a good person, and it wasn't in his nature to be able to ignore those sounds. So, he followed his ears through the station, until he stood in front of one of the benches. A young girl - Kazuto figured she was... probably about his age - was sitting on the bench, hugging her knees to her chest and hiding her face. He wasn't totally sure, but by the way her shoulders would shake every few seconds, he was pretty sure that she was the one crying quietly.

"Um... Are you okay?"

Kazuto was almost surprised at the sound of his own voice. He hadn't really meant to speak up, but he just said something without thinking. The girl hiccupped and looked up, and Kazuto blinked in surprise. Despite crying, the girl was... really, really pretty. Her chestnut-colored hair framed her face, highlighting brown eyes that were red from crying. Trails of tears ran down the girl's cheeks and she hiccupped again, staring at him. "I-I am," she said after a second, her voice weak. It still sounded like a bell's chimes to Kazuto.

Kazuto scratched the back of his head and took a seat next to her. "Sorry," he said. "But... I heard you crying, and I didn't want to just leave you alone..."

He wasn't quite sure what to say after that, so he just fell silent and watched the people moving back and forth in front of them. There were a lot of people in suits, even though the trains weren't running on this line anymore. Idly, he wondered where they were all going in such a hurry. "...I missed my stop and now I don't know where I am."

"Eh?" He turned, half-wondering if he'd imagined the girl's small voice. "Oh, um... Well, the next train isn't until tomorrow morning, so you can't stay here."

"I know that," she mumbled into her knees. "But I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do now, and I'm going to be late for dinner, and-" Her mouth closed abruptly, cutting her sentence off halfway.

"Um..." Kazuto scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Well, I live nearby, so my mom might be able to help. Do you wanna come home with me?" The girl was silent, and Kazuto noticed that she was staring at him out of the corner of her eye, judging him suspiciously. "I-I'm not trying to be creepy, I just thought that Mom could call your parents and maybe you'd like to eat dinner with us, that's all..."

The flustered boy stumbled over his words, but he trailed off when he heard the girl giggle. "Eheheh..." she laughed quietly, before giving him a weak smile. "Okay..."

"Great! Then, let's go," Kazuto said, hopping off the bench. "My house isn't too far away, so it'll only be about thirty minutes to walk." Sure, it took him a few hours to reach this point earlier, but that was because he was meandering earlier. If he took the right roads, he would _probably_ make it in the thirty minutes. The girl sniffled one last time and wiped at her face before silently grabbing her bag and hopping off of the bench. "Oh, that's right," Kazuto said suddenly. "I never asked what your name is. I'm Kazuto Kirigaya, but you can call me Kazuto."

The girl's lips twitched in a small smile. "Thank you for offering to help me, Kazuto," she said. "My name is Asuna Yuuki."

...

Kazuto had meant well when he offered to take Asuna to his house so she could call her parents, but he hadn't expected how _awkward_ it would be to walk home with her following him. At first, he wasn't sure what to talk about, and every time he looked over at her, she seemed to sense the attention and look over, grinning at him innocently. "So, um... Asuna..." He had tried calling her Yuuki at first, but she insisted on him calling her Asuna.

"Yes?"

"Uh..." Kazuto wracked his brain for a conversation subject, since just walking in silence was _weird_ , until a slightly familiar building caught his attention. "See that building there?" Asuna nodded. "A few months ago, I planted some... Salvia, that's what the flower's called. My little sister really likes how they look, so I'm gonna give her some for her birthday next year!"

Asuna smiled. "That sounds like a nice present. How old is your sister?"

"Ah, Sugu's only a year younger than me." Kazuto pointed to the park they were walking by. "We used to play there all the time a few years back, but now she's always so busy with kendo that we never go." Plus, he himself was all but a shut-in when he could get away with it. He just liked games more than playing outside, that was all. Then, he saw a small ramen shop where he and his mom would always stop when he did well on his tests. "And that place has great ramen..."

Like that, he kept pointing out little things on the way home, just to fill the silence at first and then because Asuna seemed to be genuinely interested. Places he went with Suguha, places he went with his mom, places he went on his own. The trip down memory lane lasted him until they made it to his house, and he opened the door. "I'm home," he called out.

The heavy _thump-thump-thump_ of running feet answered him, rapidly growing louder until Suguha slid into the main hallway from the living room. She must have run from the opposite end of the house, Kazuto realized. "Kazuto! You're home!" she exclaimed. "Where did you go?!"

"On a walk, Sugu," he replied patiently. "And we have a guest."

Asuna looked over. "Oh wow, your sister is really cute," Asuna said.

Kazuto glanced at her, then at his little sister. Suguha was definitely younger than Asuna, and her hair was shorter. She wore a flower clip in her hair to keep her bangs out of her face, whereas Asuna didn't have any hair decorations at all. Suguha was wearing a pink tanktop - she must have been practicing kendo, Kazuto realized - while Asuna was still wearing what he guessed was her school uniform.

Suguha stared at Asuna, and then turned to the doorway to the living room and kitchen. "Moooom!" she called out. "Kazuto kidnapped a girl and brought her here!"

"Hey!" Kazuto protested. "I did not! Sugu!"

"What's going on, you two?" Kazuto and Suguha's mother, Midori, walked into the hallway. "Oh, and who's this?"

Asuna clutched her bag in front of her and bowed politely. "Hello. My name is Asuna Yuuki," she said. "Kazuto was kind enough to help me out when I missed my stop and got lost." Looking at her now, Kazuto knew that nobody would believe that he met her while she was crying.

Midori folded her arms and smiled fondly. "Well now, aren't you the cute one? And so polite, too. My son has good taste." Kazuto blushed horribly, feeling his cheeks and ears burn with embarrassment. He glanced over at Asuna, and she was just as crimson as he felt. Suguha made a little noise of irritation and puffed out her cheeks, pouting at Kazuto. "Come on in, let's call your parents. I'm sure they're worried about you."

After that point, it was a bit of a whirlwind of activity. Asuna was brought into the kitchen and given the phone, where she called her parents. Kazuto did his best not to listen to the conversation, though it wasn't easy since he and Suguha were sitting on the couch. For some reason, his little sister was being incredibly clingy, quietly refusing to do anything other than sit by his side and hug his arm. He didn't mind all that much, it wasn't like he disliked Suguha or anything, but the way she kept peeking over the top of the couch into the kitchen where Asuna was talking was... kinda weird.

Oh well. He decided to just chalk it up to his cute little sister being cute.

He and Suguha watched TV on the couch together, laughing at the antics of the characters. How long had it been since the two of them watched a show together, Kirito wondered. Most of the time he watched anything he wanted to see in his own room, so there wasn't much reason to come all the way down to the living room. Maybe... Maybe he should start watching some shows in the living room? This was kinda nice. He was in the center, and Suguha was snuggled up against his right side, so both of them had plenty of room.

The soft patter of footsteps caught his attention, and he looked over just as Asuna took a seat on the couch. "My parents are coming soon," she said, sitting neatly. As opposed to Suguha, who'd more or less draped herself over Kazuto. "It should only be a half hour or so. I'm very sorry to impose."

"N-No, it's fine," Kazuto said sheepishly, scratching his cheek. "I was the one who invited you here, after all..."

Asuna blinked and nodded. "You're his little sister, right?" she asked, leaning over a little bit. "I haven't introduced myself properly. My name is Asuna Yuuki. Your big brother has helped me out a lot today."

"It's nice to meet you," Sugu said, still clinging to Kazuto. "I'm Suguha Kirigaya. Sorry you had to put up with Kazuto..."

"Hey, Sugu," Kazuto started to protest, only to be interrupted by a girlish giggle.

He and Suguha looked over at Asuna, who was hiding her mouth with her hand. Still, that couldn't hide the way she was giggling happily. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that I was surprised you got along so well. Then again, Kazuto was talking about you so much on the way here, I shouldn't be."

"You were talking about me?" Suguha asked Kazuto, blinking up at him. He gave her a weak grin in response. "...Wait, _Kazuto_? You got a girl this pretty to call you by your first name?!"

"Don't be rude," Kazuto hissed at his little sister. She stuck out her tongue in response. "Sorry, Asuna," he apologized. "She's _usually_ better behaved than this." Suguha punched him in the arm lightly and he winced. She packed a punch, even when holding back. "Anyway, we're watching TV, you're welcome to watch with us."

Asuna smiled and said, "Sure!"

...

The three of them were watching TV happily when Midori walked into the room. "Asuna," she said, "your parents just pulled up in front of the doorway."

"Alright," Asuna said, hopping off of the couch and smoothing out her skirt. "Thank you for having me," she said politely as she waited by the door. Kazuto and Suguha followed her out, standing in the hall.

Kazuto raised a hand in silent farewell, only to jerk in surprise when Suguha nudged him in the ribs. Say goodbye properly, her look said, and he sighed. "I'm glad we could help out," he said finally.

Asuna smiled at him, before her cute face wrinkled in thought. "...I know!" she said suddenly, and Kazuto blinked. "You have to come visit at some point! That way I can make it up to you, okay?"

"Really, it's fine..."

Asuna planted her hands on her hips. "You have to come visit. I know your home phone, so I'll call soon, okay?"

Kazuto blinked blankly. "Um, okay..."

A brisk knock on the door interrupted the rest of the conversation. Asuna turned around as Midori opened the door. "Hello there," she said. "You must be Asuna's mother."

"Yes," a woman said. Kazuto and Suguha stared up at the woman; she had hair a darker shade of brown than Asuna's, but the most striking thing Kazuto noticed was how _cold_ her face looked. "I apologize for any trouble my daughter may have caused you."

"No problem at all," Midori replied. "Kids, what are you going to do, right? The important thing is that everyone's fine."

Asuna's mother nodded briskly. "Come along, Asuna. Dinner is going to get cold."

"Yes, Mother," Asuna replied. She slipped her shoes on and turned around to bow one more time to the Kirigaya family. "I'll see you soon, Kazuto!" she said with a huge grin on her face.

Once the door closed, Midori turned and grinned at her son. "Look at you, Kazuto. Already playing the field, and you're only ten. Make sure you don't turn into a heartbreaker, got it?"

"Mooooom," Kazuto wailed, mortified. Beside him, Suguha huffed quietly. "It's not like that at all!"

* * *

 **Oh no I've done a thing, why didn't any of you stop me. I ran this by several people, what is wrong with all of you.**

 **So welcome to my latest project. Hopefully things go pretty well... Though as you should all know by now, the quality of my writing is one of those chapter-by-chapter sort of things. The idea of this is roughly 'Kazuto meets Asuna when both are kids, discuss'. It's inspired in part by Prince of Swords (a good read, even if it's dead), in part by SAO: The Eroge, and in part by _god damn it I want to write a Kirito harem story_.**

 **A few things:**

 **1) This is actually in 3rd person for once. I wanted some more practice with it, since everything I've written so far is in first person. I'll try to keep it 3rd person limited, but forgive the occasional slip, okay? Thanks.**

 **2) Just gonna make it clear _right now_ , this is a Kirito/Harem story. Everyone clear with that? Okay? Good. Now no whining when it turns into a harem, got it?**

 **3) Minor changes to canon (SAO will start in September instead of November, a few characters that weren't part of the original story will be in Aincrad) but other than that most of the differences _should_ be butterflies.**

 **4) Chapter will be as long as they need to be, but expect around 3, 4 thousand words per chapter. Some of them might be longer or shorter, though. And, uh, don't expect regular updates? If I have some chapters written I'll post them weekly, but for the first while it'll be when I write them.**

 **It's not going to be _too_ dark and heavy, but probably not as light-hearted as Sister Overload was. Either way, let's have some fun!**

 **(seriously i discussed this project with a couple people. neos why didn't you stop me)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

 **June 13th, 2018**

"Get in the car, Asuna."

Mother's voice was calm and controlled, but Asuna knew that she was upset. It made sense. She'd missed her stop, which ended up in Mother having to drive all the way out to the Kirigaya's house to pick her up. So, without saying a word, she climbed in the back seat and pulled the seat belt across her chest, buckling herself in.

Asuna's mother got in the driver's seat and started the car again. Asuna looked out the window as the car pulled away from in front of the Kirigaya residence. She kept watching all the way until the car turned, erasing it from view. Hiding her small disappointment, Asuna turned around again and faced front.

Her mother didn't say another word until they were on the highway. Streetlamps blurred by, causing shadows to appear, cross through the car, and then disappear over and over again. The almost hypnotic pattern was lulling Asuna back towards sleep when her mother finally said, "I'm glad that you're alright."

"...I'm sorry," Asuna said. "I didn't mean to miss my stop. It's just, I fell asleep and didn't wake up until the end. I was tired after taking the test and I didn't mean to-"

"You were lucky that boy was kind," her mother said, interrupting Asuna's excuses. Asuna ducked her head, staring at her hands folded in her lap. She _knew_ that. If Kazuto hadn't been kind enough to sit next to her and say something, or if someone else had stumbled on her while she was crying... "I hope you'll be more careful in the future, Asuna. I can't afford to drive an hour out of my way to pick you up every time something goes wrong."

"Yes, Mother," Asuna replied like a good girl. She didn't want to disappoint her mother any more than she already had.

Dinner that night was cold by the time she and her mother arrived back at their home, but she carried her plate to the microwave to heat it up. It was still good, even if the pasta was a little dry. Her father was on a business trip and her big brother had already finished eating, so Asuna sat in the dining room across from her mother silently, being careful to use good table manners.

For some reason, the quiet - a familiar thing these days, and something she'd accepted until this very evening - irritated Asuna a little bit.

...

Asuna nearly bounced up and down in excitement before catching herself. Big girls didn't get excited because their friend was coming to visit. Even if this was the first time she'd had someone visit her home. Just to be sure, she glanced at the reflection in a nearby vase to make sure she hadn't missed some stray hair or something. She nodded once, satisfied with her appearance, before hurrying to the nearest window and standing on her tiptoes to stare out the window.

It had been two weeks since she'd missed her stop and met Kazuto - and she'd made sure to get off at the right stop every day those last two weeks, too! - and he had called the day before to ask if he could come visit her house sometime soon. Naturally, Asuna was thrilled and insisted that he come the very next day.

"Ah!" she gasped when she saw a familiar boy approach the door nervously. "Kazuto's here!" She hurried down the hall to the front door and waited for the doorbell to ring, staring expectantly at the door.

He was gonna knock soon!

...He was gonna knock soon, right?

...What was taking him so long?!

Asuna stepped over to the door and opened it a crack, enough that she could see through. Peeking through, she came face to face with a somewhat surprised Kazuto, his hand raised in the air to press at the doorbell. Instantly, she smiled widely and opened the door the whole way. "Kazuto!" she exclaimed. "Hi! Come on in!"

"Um... Hi, Asuna," he said hesitantly. His eyes were wide as he stepped inside. Asuna closed the door behind him, making sure to lock it properly as Kazuto said, "Wow... Your house is huge."

It really was. Two whole stories with a bunch of rooms, and she even got her own room all to herself. Asuna giggled. "Your house is really neat too, Kazuto." She noticed he was carrying a small bag in his hands, and asked, "Is that bag..."

"Oh! I, uh, Mom said I should bring a gift, so here," he said, thrusting the bag towards her. "Thank you for letting me visit your house..."

Asuna giggled. "I'm the one who invited you, silly! You didn't need to get a gift." Kazuto stared at her, before laughing a little sheepishly. "C'mon, my room's upstairs. I'll show you."

She made sure to put Kazuto's gift on the table by the door so that her mother would see it if she returned home, and then headed up the steps. The hardwood floor creaked a little bit under the footsteps of both children as Asuna led them to her room. It was even labeled with a little display hanging from the door. She'd picked it out herself. "P-Pardon me," Kazuto said nervously as he stepped in the room and looked around.

Asuna's room was nice; her bed sat against the far wall, with a headboard with a few drawers in it. A mirror sat near the foot of the bed, where she could brush her hair in the morning. The closet - closed, just in case! - was on the left wall, and her desk where she did her homework was on the right. There were a few shelves with little knick-knacks Asuna had taken a liking to along the walls, too. "Have a seat," Asuna said, gesturing to the pillows she'd set up around the short table she'd set up in the center of the floor in preparation. "I'll go get us some tea, okay?"

"Okay," Kazuto said.

Asuna hummed happily to herself as she swept outside and back downstairs to the kitchen. Dragging a footstool over, she carefully prepared a tray of tea with a few snacks, just in case. She wasn't sure what Kazuto would like so she decided to go with her favorite type of tea as well as some chocolate chip cookies. Everyone likes chocolate chips, she thought, so I'm sure he'll love it.

She brought the tray upstairs carefully and set it down on the table before pouring some into each of their teacups. "Help yourself to the cookies," she told Kazuto. "And there's more downstairs, so let me know if you want anything."

"Woah, this is really fancy," Kazuto murmured. Asuna tilted her head in confusion. Was it? she wondered. It was just a set of teacups and a few dishes for snacks, that was all. "Thank you for the snacks."

The two of them sat and sipped at their tea for a bit. Occasionally, Kazuto reached over and grabbed a cookie, munching on it. Eventually, he sat his teacup down. "Ah, Asuna," he began.

Asuna brightened. "Yes?"

"I, uh..." He scratched the back of his head. "...The tea and cookies are really good?"

"Thanks! The tea's my favorite," Asuna said.

The two of them fell silent again. It was a little awkward, but Asuna wasn't really sure how to break it. Small talk came easily at school, when it was just her and her classmates, but that hadn't prepared her for this. "...Sorry I'm a bad guest," Kazuto finally blurted out. "It's just, your room's so nice and everything's delicious, but this is the first time I've ever been at a friend's house, so..." Asuna stared at him, before she burst out into giggles. "Hey, it's not funny," Kazuto protested.

She wiped at her eyes and took a breath to calm herself down. "I'm not laughing at you," Asuna assured him. "Really. It's just, this is the first time I've had a friend over, so I thought I was being a bad host."

"No way," Kazuto said. "You're cute, so I thought you had a lot of friends coming over."

Asuna blinked before shaking her head. "Uh uh," she replied. "I don't really talk with the girls at my school all that much. Besides, I'm usually busy studying anyway."

"Studying?"

"Mm-hm! I have to do well, so I make sure to study a lot every day. Sometimes, when there's a test, I'll stay up late."

"Ah!" Kazuto exclaimed. "Is that why you fell asleep on the train? Because you were staying up late studying?"

Asuna blushed and looked away. "...Maybe," she admitted. "Mother was upset with me, but I think she's forgiven me by now."

When she looked back, Kazuto was scratching his cheek. "Well, I... I think I'm glad you fell asleep on the train," he said. "Because I got to meet you, Asuna! And now we're friends."

Asuna stared, before a huge grin spread across her face. "Yeah!" she said. "Friends!"

* * *

A few weeks later, Asuna was visiting Kazuto's house. The two of them were sitting on the couch together in the living room, watching some anime that Asuna didn't recognize. It was the show Kazuto had been watching when she showed up, so she decided that it would be best for her to just sit and watch. It seemed to be about a guy and several girls that were really good friends, going on adventures together.

It was pretty clear to Asuna that all the girls had a crush on the one guy, but that he was oblivious.

Glancing over at her friend, Asuna realized that while Kazuto was looking at the TV screen, he didn't seem to be _watching_ it. Naturally, she decided that the best thing to do in this case was to bug him until he talked about it. "Hey, hey, Kazuto?"

"Yeah?"

"Is something wrong?" He looked at her, and she leaned forward, staring into his eyes. _Staaaaaare..._ "I can tell something's wrong," she told him. "You're worrying about something, aren't you?"

Kazuto looked away, scratching at his cheek. "Um... It's Sugu," he admitted.

"Your little sister? Is she okay?" Asuna gasped. "Oh no, did she get hurt?"

"Sugu's fine, she's fine," Kazuto insisted. Asuna smiled in relief. "It's... It'd probably be better if I started from the beginning. Sugu and I have always been close. I shared a room with her until I was eight, and even though we have our own rooms now, I'll still poke my head in from time to time to talk to her." He fell silent, but Asuna waited patiently, smiling in encouragement whenever Kazuto peeked her way. Eventually, he said, "So... You know how I found you at the train station?"

"Yeah?"

"Well... The reason I was out in the first place was because I'd... found something out," he admitted. Asuna tilted her head curiously. Kazuto glanced at her, briefly meeting her eyes, before looking away again. "Sugu's... not really my little sister. Or it'd probably be better to say I'm not really her big brother. She's really my cousin. I asked Mom about it last week. She says that my real parents died in a car crash when I was a baby, so since she was my mom's younger sister she adopted me."

Asuna reached out and gently rested her hand on Kazuto's clenched fist. After a second, it relaxed uder her touch and flattened out again. "I'm sorry," she said, meaning it. "How did you find out?"

"Erased records from the internet," he said. "I've always been good with computers, I guess..." Asuna giggled a little bit, even though the subject was serious. "So, I was hoping you could help... Should I tell Sugu the truth, or do I let her think we're still brother and sister? I know she really looks up to me, but now that I know the truth it feels like it might be hard to keep pretending." He hunched his shoulders.

"Well..." Asuna closed her eyes and thought about what would happen if _her_ older brother suddenly stopped talking to her for no reason. Of course, it was different for her, her big brother was already in high school, and the gap between their age was more than the one year between Suguha and Kazuto. "Well, I don't think you're really pretending to be anything," she said in the end.

"Eh?" Kazuto asked.

"I mean... You've been her big brother this whole time, right? So what difference does it make if you're actually her cousin? You're still family."

Kazuto stared at Asuna, blinking in shock. "Huh... I never thought of it like that..." He fell silent, staring into space, before he grinned at her. "Yeah! Thanks, Asuna. That really helps a lot! But, um... Could you keep this a secret from Sugu? I don't want her to worry."

"Of course," Asuna said. She was definitely going to help her new friend any way that she could.

In any event, though, back to the show for her! She wasn't really sure why the girls were fighting over the guy, though. No matter who won, the rest would all be so upset!

* * *

 **September 10th, 2022**

Meeting and befriending Asuna had definitely been something new for Kazuto, but other than that, his life didn't change all that much afterwards. Sure, he ended up going to her house a few times to play - the first time he visited, he was worried her mom would kick him out - and she would routinely drop by to spend time with him and Suguha, but that was what you did with friends, right?

Well, he was happy that he hadn't drifted apart from Suguha. He had a feeling that if he hadn't miraculously run into Asuna, things might have changed for them. As it stood, the siblings were even closer than before. They would play games together all the time, and Kazuto would always try to make time for his little sister whenever she asked him for help.

At first, it was usually about games. Suguha tried her best, but sometimes she would get stuck on a level, or run into a hard boss. When that happened and she got frustrated, Suguha would go out and swing her shinai, glaring at the empty air, until she calmed down. And then she would go and pull out the big guns.

The big guns, in these cases, were Kazuto. He wasn't quite sure what got Suguha into games in the first place - she'd usually watched him play back when they were both little kids, but even when he had a multiplayer game she'd never joined in - but about a month or two after they met Asuna, Suguha had marched into his room, sat down on his bed, and informed him in no uncertain terms, "That game you're playing is two-player, right? I want to play too."

Kazuto, of course, was thrilled. His little sister was playing games with him! As the two of them laughed and sat on the couch and struggled against bosses together, it was almost enough for him to forget the truth, that she was really his cousin.

Even though he pretended nothing was wrong, though, it had been hard for him to keep the secret all on his own. That was why Kazuto confided the truth to Asuna. She'd taken it well enough, and even agreed when he asked her to promise not to tell Suguha about what he'd learned. He knew that Suguha cherished him as her big brother - even more so than before, somehow - and hadn't wanted to take that away from her.

Overall, things were... Well, usually he'd say his life was pretty good.

Of course, that had the implicit understanding that he wasn't spending the entirety of his Friday afternoon waiting somewhat patiently while Asuna and Suguha went shopping. The stack of bags on the bench next to him were a towering testament to how many purchases they'd made already, and it was only two in the afternoon. Right now he was waiting in one of the stores that sold girls' clothes, doing his best to ignore the occasional whisper from the female shoppers while Asuna and Suguha tried on the next outfit.

Seriously... He'd known Asuna for four years by this point, and he was still occasionally surprised by the amount of money she was willing to spend. Then again, he and Suguha lived in a nice house, but it was still nothing compared to Asuna's...

"...to. Kazuto... Kazuto!"

Kazuto blinked in surprise, halfway through idly calculating how many of his bedrooms would fit in Asuna's house, and looked up. Then he jerked back. Asuna's warm, brown eyes were staring into his from far, far too close for comfort. "...Yeah?" he asked eventually.

Asuna sighed and straightened up from where she was leaning over to stare at him. "You didn't listen to a thing I said, did you?" she asked, before shaking her head. Her long, chestnut-brown hair swished around. "Of course you didn't, you were staring into space again."

"Sorry, sorry," Kazuto sighed. "But you two have been shopping for hours by this point."

"That doesn't mean you can ignore us," she replied, planting her hands on her hips. "Anyway, like I was _saying_ , I'm done changing. What do you think?"

Kazuto looked Asuna up and down. He didn't know much about fashion, but she looked nice in the white summer dress. It had ruffles around the neckline, and slightly puffy sleeves. "I like it," he said in the end. "You look nice."

Asuna smiled. "You said that about the last outfit, too," she reminded him.

"I don't know what else to say. It's the truth." At first, he'd been embarrassed going shopping with the girls; the first time Asuna came out of the changing room and posed for his opinion, he'd just blushed bright red and looked away. A few years of giving his opinion, though, had eventually gotten him used to the embarrassment.

Asuna blinked at that comment, before shaking her head and turning on her heel, causing the hemline of the dress to flare out a bit. "I'm going to get changed," she said, smiling over her shoulder. "Sugu should be out in a minute."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever... I'll still be here..."

"One 'yeah' is enough, mister," Asuna said primly. After a second of pretending to glare at Kazuto, the two of them laughed cheerfully.

In the end, though, Kazuto still had to wait patiently for the girls to finish shopping, so he resigned himself to losing the rest of the day. It wasn't too bad, really, he told himself. It was only a few more days.

Only a few more days until he'd finally be able to return to Sword Art Online. The beta, running the entire month of June, had been _fantastic_ to play. The NerveGear was an amazing piece of technology, and playing the game had felt like nothing he'd ever experienced before. It was like he was in the game, and now other games just felt hollow and stale. But today was September 10th, which meant that there were only two more days until the game would launch. As a beta tester, he had the game already; it and the NerveGear were sitting by his bed, waiting for the day they could be used.

In lieu of playing the game, Kazuto had been devouring as much information about the game as he could find. That meant reading articles, listening to press releases, and reading the single interview Akihiko Kayaba, the creator of the NerveGear and SAO, over and over again until he could nearly recite it from memory. Plus, he was really looking forward to meeting up with Argo again. The info broker was probably the best friend he'd made in the beta.

Even if she did tease him incessantly.

Motion in front of him caught Kazuto's attention and, remembering how Asuna had sneaked up on him, focused in the here and now instead of two days from now. As a result, he was treated to the sight of his little sister walking out of the changing room and doing a little twirl in front of him. Suguha had picked out a red top and a black skirt, and Kazuto frowned a little bit. The top's neckline plunged dangerously low, and only the black shirt Suguha was wearing kept her modest. Plus, the skirt was a little short, revealing a thin line of creamy skin between the top of her tights and the bottom of the skirt.

Kazuto cupped his chin and hummed, and Suguha frowned. "What?" she asked almost defensively.

"No way," Kazuto said with a firm nod. "That shows off way too much."

"Oh come on!" Suguha exclaimed, folding her arms under her chest. "Asuna wears stuff like this all the time, and you don't complain about _her_!"

"Asuna's not my little sister," Kazuto said with the implacable logic of the Protective Big Brother.

Suguha huffed. "You should treat me like you treat her," she muttered.

"Asuna is Asuna, Sugu's Sugu." Kazuto shrugged. "Of course I won't treat you two the same."

"Mrrr..." Suguha grumbled under her breath for a few seconds before she headed back to the changing rooms. "I'm buying this anyway, Kazuto!" she called out.

Kazuto just sighed under his breath before calling back, "It's your allowance!" Suguha seemed bound and determined to make his life difficult, didn't she? Still, he knew he wouldn't have her any other way.

"Alright," Asuna said brightly as the three of them walked out of the store. "What's next on the list, Sugu?"

While Suguha and Asuna figured out where they wanted to visit next, Kazuto tried to keep his sigh of resignation quiet. Just two more days, he told himself, and then he could Dive back into SAO. Not that he didn't want to spend time with the two girls - the exact opposite, he loved being with them - but it _was_ a bit tiring. He wasn't much of a people person, and ordering online was good enough for him.

"Oh, by the way," Asuna smiled at Kazuto. "You're going to come over next weekend, right?" she asked, putting a deliberate emphasis on the last word. "You promised, after all."

"I know, I know," Kazuto grumbled. "I'm going to come over, don't worry. It's just kinda awkward. It feels like your mom's appraising me."

"Father likes you, you know," she continued. "And Mother is... coming around."

"Doesn't seem like it sometimes..."

Asuna smiled weakly. "She is," she said, sounding a little uncertain. "And you know which trains to take?"

Kazuto stared flatly at her. "That was _two years ago_ , Asuna. And I only got on the wrong train _once_." That train happened to not have any stops for several hours, but still.

"Don't give me that," Asuna replied, planting her hands on her hips. "You ended up in the countryside! I was worried sick when you didn't show up!"

"I was _twelve_."

"And it's only been two years, your point?"

...

"Ready, Kazuto?" Suguha asked.

Kazuto nodded and raised the blocking pad. "Ready whenever you are, Sugu."

The two siblings were standing across from each other in their dojo. Both of them were wearing identical kendo gear, the heavy pads and masks covering their body to protect from accidental injury. An outside observer would barely be able to tell the difference between the two; Suguha was a little shorter than Kazuto, but other than that most of their differences were hidden. Kazuto's face was a little feminine normally, and the face grill blurred the line even further. Of course, there was one obvious difference. That is, Suguha was the only one with a wooden sword in her hands. Kazuto, on the other hand, was holding a thick pad made for blocking strikes and thrusts.

When Suguha had started playing games with him and involving herself in his activities, Kazuto had been thrilled. He'd been less thrilled when she insisted that he come help her with kendo training. He'd complained at first, but by now Kazuto was used to acting as her training dummy. He didn't even mind; it was good training for SAO, he just told himself.

"Here I go!" With a shout, Suguha raised her shinai over her head and stepped forward, lunging towards him. Kazuto braced himself and brought the block up just in time to meet Suguha's heavy downward strike. The blow _thumped_ heavily on the pad and Kazuto let out a grunt as he shoved to the side. Suguha nearly overbalanced, since she'd put too much weight to the blow, but recovered nicely and brought the sword up in a horizontal slice.

Kazuto had already stepped to the side and back, however, and the tip of the shinai whistled just past the front of his chest. "Haah!" he shouted, pushing forward with the block pad and smacking it into Suguha's side.

She hopped a few steps to keep her footing. As soon as she had her balance back, Suguha widened her stance slightly and tightened the grip on her weapon. Kazuto grinned as the two carefully circled around each other, eyes watching for the other's movement. This was fun! Just like dueling in SAO. His body felt heavier in this world, and the protective training armor was nothing like the light cloth armor he preferred in there, but the thrill of combat was the same.

Well, almost the same. His role wasn't to act as an opponent, but as a target for Suguha to aim for. So, instead of lunging forward while his little sister was gathering herself, Kazuto brought his guard back up and waited. He wasn't quite sure he liked using this sort of shield. Back in the beta, he'd used a pair of longswords and -

"Hah!" Suguha shouted, stepping forward in a textbook approach. Kazuto's eyes widened as he realized his attention had slipped for an instant, and she'd capitalized on the mistake instantly. His reaction speed was faster than hers, but he still had to move; he barely managed to get the pad between his side before her shinai slammed into it, and he was left wide open for her second strike, a blow directly to the crown of the head.

 _Crack._

"Ouch..." Kazuto mumbled, backing up and shaking his head. He pulled off the protective mask and rubbed at the sore spot. "You hit hard, Sugu..."

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Suguha exclaimed immediately, rushing over to his side. "Are you okay, Kazuto?! Let me see!"

As Suguha fussed over him, rubbing the spot where her training weapon had impacted, Kazuto grinned. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he said. "You're doing really well, Sugu."

"Plus, it'll take more than that to get through his thick skull."

Both Kirigaya siblings looked over to see Asuna standing at the entrance to the dojo. "Oh, hey Asuna," Kazuto said with a small wave. "We're just finishing up."

"Honestly, I just don't see the appeal," Asuna sighed as she entered. "But you two seem to have fun smacking each other around..."

"It's mostly just Sugu hitting me," Kazuto pointed out. "She's violent."

"I am not!" _Smack._

"Ow! Then why'd you smack me?"

Asuna giggled, and Suguha stuck her tongue out at Kazuto playfully while he rubbed at his arm where her palm had lightly struck him. "We weren't expecting you to show up, Asuna," Suguha said after backing away from Kazuto a little bit and helping him to his feet. "Is there something special today?"

Asuna smiled and clasped her hands in front of her body. "Actually, yes," she said. "But it can wait until you two clean yourselves up, I can smell you from here."

"Okay," Suguha said, stripping off her equipment until she was only wearing the traditional white training gi. Kazuto was right behind her, hanging what he was wearing on the rack. "We won't be long!"

Kazuto let Suguha take the first shower, so she was done and heading downstairs to speak with Asuna while he headed in. Since he wasn't the one doing most of the training, he was out after only a few minutes; Suguha, on the other hand, had taken a good fifteen minutes. In any event, he walked downstairs to see Asuna and Suguha sitting on the couch, laughing together at something. "When did you two get so close, anyway?" Kazuto asked idly. It had happened seemingly overnight, about a year ago; one day they were all but clawing at each other's throats, and then the next Asuna was brushing Suguha's hair and humming happily.

Asuna gave him a secretive smile, the kind of smile that said 'I know the real reason but I'm not going to tell'. "Oh, we just had a nice conversation and sorted a few things out."

Girls, Kazuto sighed internally. They never make any sense. "So," he continued, taking a seat between the girls, "why did you come by, Asuna? I mean, not that you need a reason, we like having you, but, uh..."

Both Asuna and Suguha waited patiently for him to finish stumbling over his words before the long-haired girl replied, "I have something to give Sugu!"

"Me?" the black-haired girl blinked in surprise.

"Of course, you." Asuna smiled and moved over to the side of the room, where she picked up a large wrapped package. Kazuto blinked in surprise; that hadn't been there this morning, he thought, before realizing that Asuna must have left it there before coming to find them in the dojo. "Here you go! It just got in yesterday afternoon, or I would have given it to you when we were shopping."

"Uh, okay..." Suguha accepted the package and held it on her lap, staring at it. "Do you mind if I open it now?"

Asuna smiled. "Go ahead, that's why I brought it."

Suguha ripped off the wrapping paper, not needing any more invitation, until she stared in surprise at what Asuna had just given her. _Kazuto_ stared in surprise at what Asuna had just given her. "A NerveGear?!" the boy yelped. Then Suguha shifted the box, revealing a game case with very familiar box art. "...And a copy of SAO?!"

"That's the game you were playing two months ago, right?" Asuna asked.

"Yeah, but how did you get a copy? The lines were massive since, like, yesterday evening!"

The long-haired girl threw up a V for Victory sign and grinned at him. "Don't underestimate my contacts," she said smugly.

"I guess..."

Suguha carefully put the NerveGear on the floor before crossing the couch and throwing her arms around Asuna. "Thank you!" she exclaimed. "Thank you so much!"

Asuna patted the girl on the back as she returned the hug. "It's no problem, Sugu," she said. "But you have to promise that you'll play with me this afternoon, okay?"

 _That_ comment made Kazuto freeze for a moment as he tried to understand exactly what she had just said. "Wait," he finally blurted out, " _you_ have SAO too?"

"Of course I do," she said, glancing at Kazuto. "This way all of us can play together."

"But you never wanted to play before..."

Asuna glanced to the side. "Well, before you didn't spend a whole month doing nothing but lie on your bed and play," she muttered. "This will be my first game, so you'd better take good care of me, okay?"

"Sure, sure," Kazuto sighed. At least he'd have Sugu with him to help out, since she knew a little bit about how to play games...

Asuna frowned. "Why do I feel like you're thinking something mean about me?"

"Because Kazuto always gets that little wrinkle on his forehead, right here," Suguha said, poking Kazuto right above his nose.

While Asuna giggled, Kazuto sighed. "I do not," he muttered, rubbing where Suguha had poked. "Anyway, Asuna, you didn't have to do this, really."

"It's fine, it's fine," she said with a beautiful smile. "I don't mind, after all."

Wow. Kazuto realized, again, this was what it was like to have a rich friend. "Be my friend forever," he blurted out without thinking.

"Eh?" Asuna stared at him in surprise, cheeks going a little red. "I, um... Of course," she said after a second, recovering admirably. "W-Well, I'll be going now! I don't want to be late for lunch. Ah, send me a message once you decide where we're meeting up in the game, okay?"

"Sure thing," Kazuto said, walking Asuna to the door. Suguha peeled off and headed up the stairs, carrying her NerveGear and copy of SAO with her. He'd go help her out with the calibration after saying goodbye to Asuna. While he hadn't expected _this_ , playing SAO with Asuna and Sugu... That was going to be pretty fun.

* * *

 **September 12th, 2022**

"Hello world," Kirito said, looking up at the sky. Reaching out a hand, he clenched a fist. "I'm back."

The virtual world was exactly as he'd left it. Thanks to being a beta tester, he hadn't had to recreate his avatar. It saved him some extra time, since he'd had to help his sister create a character. Speaking of his sister... Kirito looked around until he finally spotted the avatar he'd watched her create. A tall beautiful blonde, her long hair tied up in a ponytail. It still fell down her back, highlighting the, ah... Kirito looked away from her chest quickly.

The blonde was standing by a nearby wall, hands clasped in front of her as she waited patiently. Kirito walked towards her, studiously ignoring the looks other players were giving her as they passed. "Hey," he said, raising a hand.

"Sorry, I'm waiting for someone."

"Leafa, it's me," Kirito said.

Leafa blinked before her eyes widened. "Kazuto! I..." She tilted her head as she studied him. "I didn't expect you to look like that." What was wrong with how he looked? He thought he'd pulled off the handsome look pretty well. "Hmm... I don't know why, but I half-expected you to have a really girly avatar."

"Nah," Kirito said, carefully not thinking about one of the avatars he'd almost selected. That one was all Argo's fault anyway! "This one's the one I'm most used to. As soon as Asuna gets here, we'll get -"

"Ah!" Leafa exclaimed, looking over Kirito's shoulder. "There she is."

"How can you tell?" Kirito asked, turning to look. "We're all using..." He trailed off as he saw the girl somewhat nervously approaching them. While Leafa had been earning the occasional look, _everyone_ was turning to look at the long-legged girl. Her long hair swished against her back, emphasizing the starting skirt and red vest she was wearing.

And all this was based on Asuna's _real-life_ appearance. She didn't look any different than she did when she was visiting the Kirigaya house, aside from the one-handed straight sword strapped across her back that she was obviously unfamiliar with.

Beside him, Leafa nudged his shoulder and Kirito blinked, remembering not to stare. He gave the third member of their party a wave and she smiled, moving towards them a little more confidently. "Kazuto? ...Sugu?"

"It's us, Asuna," Kirito said. "How come you didn't make an avatar?"

"We were supposed to change that?" Asuna asked blankly. "I thought we just used our real appearances in the game."

Kirito's sigh was a little weak, but he rallied. "Okay, it's... fine. Don't worry about it, people are pretty cool about that sort of thing most of the time." Sure, there were some people who'd be creeps about it, but she'd probably only be playing with the Kirigaya siblings anyway. "So, first things first, I'm going to make a party and invite you two, okay? Asuna, what's your name?"

She folded her arms. Kirito barely noticed, absorbed as he was in opening his menu and creating a party. It wasn't the first time, but definitely not something he did often. "You know my name."

"No, the name you're using in here. What you put in the username field."

"...We were supposed to use a different name?" Kirito froze at that and stared at her. Asuna fidgeted awkwardly, the toe of her boot scuffing at the ground. "I wasn't sure what username meant, so I just put down Asuna..."

Kirito held in a sigh. Newbies, he grumbled internally. "Alright, but for future reference, you shouldn't use your real name when playing online games, okay? Do you want to remake your account? Leafa and I can wait."

Asuna shook her head. "It's fine," she said. "Now c'mon, let's go! I want to learn how to play this game."

"Just accept the party prompt I sent you," Kirito told her, "and I'll lead you to the boar fields. They're the best place for new players to learn the ropes, since the pops really aren't that dangerous. They're introduction mobs, so probably on the level of slimes in other RPGs." Asuna blinked at him, staring blankly. Leafa was a little bit better, but there was still the slightest look of confusion on her face. Kirito just sighed. "They're weak, and good enemies for training."

"Ahhh," both girls said at the same time. "That makes sense."

...

Kirito stared at the blood-red robed figure hovering in the sky above him. That wasn't... It couldn't be possible...

But everything fit. Kirito had read everything he could get his hands on about Sword Art Online and its creator, Akihiko Kayaba. All about how the system, Cardinal, was designed to run autonomously with no human intervention. And how they'd run into a few problems in the beta with players cross-playing as the opposite gender. And why the Logout button was removed from the menu, leaving only the empty slot.

While the rest of the crowd was sitting in stunned silence, Kirito looked around. Both his avatar and Leafa's had been changed back by the mirror, and Asuna's appearance hadn't changed. Even though the Game Master... Even though Kayaba had finished the 'tutorial' of SAO and disappeared, everyone was standing in a shocked, frozen silence.

Until a mirror shattered on the ground.

That sudden noise set off a chain reaction that rippled through the entire crowd, turning their silence into screaming panic. Kirito's eyes darted to the left, where he'd picked out the closest exit from the Town of Beginnings's main square. Once they were out of the town, they could probably run to the first town and get a headstart on the important quests that would get them all better equipped and able to face the game. Gritting his teeth, he turned to his sister and Asuna to start chivvying them towards the exit -

...Only to see that Asuna had collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at nothing at all. It looked like her entire world had been shattered, and Kirito knew that even if he could get her on her feet, running all the way to Tolbana, much less fighting Little Nepents, was out of the question. Leafa was handling the news better than Asuna, but not by much; she was still on her feet, but her face was pale and her hands hung limply by her side, twitching occasionally. If Kirito pressed her, he had a feeling she would be able to fight, but it would be dangerous in the long run.

In the end, he decided that no matter what, the girls would come first. He knelt down and gently wrapped his arms around Asuna. Her breathing quickened and he was worried she was going to have a panic attack right then and there, but Asuna slowly raised her hands up to rest them on Kirito's hands. She trembled in his embrace for several seconds, before the tremors slowed. "Do you think you can stand?" he asked her.

"...I-I think," she murmured hollowly. Kirito slowly and gently helped her get to her feet, maintaining the hug the entire time. Once Asuna was on her feet again, swaying back and forth, Kirito looked over to Leafa. His sister had seemed to recover a little bit while he was taking care of Asuna; when he looked to the side, he met her gaze. Silently, he freed one hand from Asuna's terrified grip and offered it to Leafa.

She took it and squeezed once. She didn't need the touch, but he knew it would reassure her.

Like that, one hand clasped with Asuna's and one hand clasped with Leafa's, Kirito pushed his way through the panicking crowd. He weaved through the crowd fairly well, only accidentally nudging other players a few times. Once they were out of the plaza and in the strangely-deserted roads, it was easy to fall into a rhythm. Left step, wait for Asuna to take a step forward, right step, wait for Leafa. One step at a time, Kirito led the two of them to the closest inn he could find.

Fortunately, killing boars for training had earned him just enough col to spring for two rooms. He opened the first door on the right and entered, leading Asuna and Leafa inside. Once Asuna was sitting on the bed, he straightened up and gently worked his hand free. "You two can sleep here," he said to Leafa. "I'll be right across the hall."

"Okay, Kazuto," Leafa replied. Her voice seemed firm, and she wasn't as pale as Asuna was. When he gently patted her head, she smiled at him. "I'm okay."

"Just making sure," he said. When he turned to leave, though, a tug on his shirt stopped him. He turned to see Asuna clutching at his shirt desperately, eyes staring firmly at the floor.

"...Stay?" she asked quietly. "Please?"

He'd rented two inn rooms for the night, but there was no way he could possibly say no. Not when Asuna seemed so fragile. Not when it was _his_ fault his sister and his best friend were trapped in the game.

"Of course," he said.

* * *

 **Yes I know I said 3 to 4k chapters, guess I lied whoops.**

 **There's a little bit of a time skip at the beginning; about two between the first and second chunks, and then four years to present day. Kazuto** _ **was**_ **10 in the first chapter; now, he's 14. And yes, SAO is starting September 12th instead of November 7th. There's no real reason for this. It's fine, don't worry about it.**

 **Most of the chapter was devoted to the kids interacting. Slower, but these dorks just kinda refused to shut up a bit. I also like the mental image of Kazuto not really knowing what to say about Asuna's dress, but being super protective of Sugu (Fun fact: the outfit Sugu tried out, that he rejected and she bought anyway, is what she's wearing in her ending in Hollow Fragment. Unrelated fun fact: I recently beat Hollow Fragment). I also imagine that having to deal with the Kirigayas has made Asuna a little bit more 'big sister'-y.**

 **And yeah, I imagine that if Sugu decided she's going to play games, she's also dragging Kazuto into her kendo training. As someone who does martial arts, having a 'willing' practice partner would be super great, even if all that partner does is block.** **Essentially, having Asuna around means that the siblings actually share a friend which means they're going to talk. Plus, Kazuto talked to Asuna about the whole cousin thing instead of just diving into gaming.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

 **September 24th, 2022**

Kirito's glowing sword sliced through the body of the Kobold Forager in front of him. The red line from his Sword Skill glowed across its chest for a second, the mob frozen in a soundless howl, before his enemy shattered in a spray of blue polygons. He didn't take the chance to bask in the thrill of victory, though. As soon as his body was able to move again, he whirled and launched himself towards the next closest enemy.

Kirito, Leafa, and Asuna were fighting deep in a forest dungeon. As part of a quest, they needed to defeat the boss of the small area; they'd explored about half of it so far, and thanks to Kirito's knowledge from the beta they were making good time. Plus, he was able to guide the three of them around the worst encounters and pick and choose when they were going to fight.

While Kirito engaged the next Kobold Forager, the blade in his left hand thrusting forward, Leafa was handling her own mob on the left side of the small clearing. Her curved sword stayed between her body and the dirty, chipped dagger the Kobold Forager was brandishing in her direction. He couldn't spare the time to actually check on her, but Kirito figured that she would be able to fight and win. Even if she has trouble activating Sword Skills sometime, he thought, she's definitely skilled at sword fighting.

"Kyaa!"

The feminine cry echoed out through the clearing, and Kirito's head whipped to the side. Asuna was sprawled out on the ground, her longsword out of her hands and lying in front of her. A Kobold Forager was standing behind her, dagger extended, and a long red line was sprawled across her side. "Asuna!" Kirito shouted, half-turning to run to her side before the growl of the mob he was fighting reminded him that he couldn't just leave. "Rrgh... Switch!" Kirito shoved forward and activated a Skill to stun the enemy before rushing towards Asuna.

She'd crawled forward and grabbed her sword, but there was no chance she was going to be able to turn and get to her feet before the mob attacked her again. With the light cloth armor Asuna wore, that much damage would stun her, leading to the vicious cycle that would only have one end. Asuna turned her head just as the kobold pounced -

\- sinking its dagger into Kirito's left arm. He'd managed to cross the distance just in time to intercept. "Ghh..." A small grunt of pain escaped his lips before he swung the blade in his right hand. His stance was sloppy, but he was still practiced enough to activate the Horizontal Sword Skill, leaving a slash across the stomach of the mob. "Asuna, are you okay?!" he shouted over his shoulder.

"Y-Yeah..." Shakily, Asuna got to her feet. She raised her sword again, but the tip shook. "I can fight."

"Don't push yourself," he warned her, before kicking forward. His left blade knocked the dagger away, opening the Kobold Forager up, before his Anneal Blade thrust forward with a bright blue glow. The tip pierced the center of the kobold's chest and it froze before shattering into blue polygons.

Once the rest of the mobs had been destroyed, Kirito looked over to see Asuna drinking a health potion. She finished and tossed the bottle aside, the empty potion bottle shattering before it hit the ground. "I'm sorry, Kirito," she said. "You got hurt because of me..."

"It's fine, it's fine," Kirito assured her. He'd already recovered all of his health, so there wasn't any issue at all. "I'm glad you're not hurt. But, Asuna, you don't have to stick with the longsword if you -"

"No," Asuna said immediately. "I'm going to figure this out. I'm not going to let this game beat me!"

Kirito scratched the back of his head. "Okay," he said slowly, "but keep it in mind, okay?"

It wasn't that Asuna was bad at fighting, or anything like that. It was just something that Kirito couldn't quite put his finger on. The way she fought, or the way she would swing her sword... It was like she was always off-balance somehow. Even though he'd asked Leafa about it, she hadn't been able to point out what was wrong. And if his sister couldn't figure it out, well, Kirito was just a video gamer, he didn't know much about fighting.

At the very least, it had only been about two weeks since they'd been trapped in the game. The window for switching what weapon she was going to use without wasting too many stat points was still open. Every point counted, especially in a death game, Kirito knew, but sticking with a sword that didn't match was even worse.

It was a good thing he was able to use the twin longswords from the start. Sure, he didn't have any defensive options, and there weren't any unique Sword Skills for two swords, but he didn't use a shield anyway.

...

"Aaaahn!" Leafa stretched luxuriously, raising one hand over her head and using her other hand to pull at her elbow. "That boss was hard, huh?"

"I wish there was somewhere to get clean," Asuna murmured under her breath. "I miss baths..."

Kirito glanced at her. "Huh? You say something, Asuna?" It was a little hard for him to hear what she said sometimes, thanks to the red hood she usually wore in town.

"No, nothing."

He just shrugged, turning his attention back to his menu. He needed to sort the item drops he got from the boss of that dungeon, and -

"Guess who, Kii-boy?"

Kirito's vision suddenly went dark as a heavy weight landed on his back. Kirito instinctively leaned forward and brought his hands back to support the weight of the person that had just landed squarely on his shoulders. "...Hey, Argo," he said.

"Aw, you guessed." The hands dropped from his eyes and onto his shoulders as the girl leaned forward. "Heya!" Argo chirped as she grinned at him from over his shoulder.

The girl on Kirito's back was small and light, but he was pretty sure she was a few years older than him. Her mouse-brown hair was short and a little messy; most if not all people would say she was cute, but the mischievous grin revealed the sharp mind behind the outer appearance. Most people, of course, knew her as Argo the Rat, the best (and only) information broker in the game.

Kirito, though, knew her mostly as the girl who would tease him non-stop. "Is there a reason you're jumping on my back?" he asked her.

"A girl gets lonely when ya don't come ta visit," Argo purred, grinning at him. "An' I thought we had a special relationship! How could ya, Kii-boy?"

Kirito gulped and turned towards the swirling auras of menace coming from Asuna and Leafa. "Leafa, Asuna," he said in a hurry, "this is Argo. She's an info broker. She and I..." He hesitated before saying, "We were in the beta test together."

"Hey, Kii-boy," Argo said sharply, tightening her arms around his neck.

"Argo, these are Leafa and Asuna, my sister and my best friend," Kirito continued.

Argo blinked at him, then at the girls. "Ah! I getcha, I getcha," she said brightly, hopping off of his back and extending her hand to the two girls. Now that he could see her properly, Kirito was struck by how _short_ she was. She only came up to Asuna's shoulders - and the brown cloak she always wore hid the shape of her body. "An' here I thought Kii-boy had tossed me aside for these two beauties."

Asuna and Leafa had the strangest looks on their faces as they shook Argo's hand, like they weren't sure to be angry or flattered. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Argo," Asuna said. "Um... If you don't mind me asking, what do you mean, 'info broker'?"

"Jus' Argo's fine," the info broker said. "As for your question, I buy an' sell intelligence. Gatherin' info's my game, an' I'm the best there is at it in this game. Got somethin' ya wanna know? Jus' ask me. It'll cost ya, though," she said, rubbing her fingers together in the universal sign. "Oh, an' by the way, what I jus' told ya costs ten col."

"Don't rip off my party members, Argo," Kirito sighed even as he dug the cash out of his inventory and flipped the coin to her.

Argo caught it with a flourish and made the coin dance across her fingers before it vanished into her cloak. "Thankies," she said with a sharp grin. "An' you, with a party, Kii-boy? _That's_ a new one."

"Hey."

"So Kazuto was antisocial in the game, too?" Leafa mumbled to Asuna.

Asuna nodded. "I'm not surprised," she said.

"Hey!"

"Anyway," Argo said, ignoring Kirito's protests, "I kinda... need yer help."

Kirito blinked, and then narrowed his eyes. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Argo gritted her teeth and then rubbed the back of her head, giving them a grin. "Someone's spreadin' rumors usin' my name," she said, the grin turning _very_ sharp. "I'm gonna put a stop to it. Normally, I wouldn't drag ya into my problems, but -"

"Why not?" Kirito asked, making Argo pause mid-sentence and blink. "I like spending time with you, and I'm always willing to lend a hand if you need help."

Silently, Argo tugged her hood forward to hide her face. "...No fair," she muttered quietly. "Playin' with a young maiden's heart, Kii-boy, you jerk..."

"Argo?" Kirito asked.

"Anyway," Argo continued loudly, spinning around so her cloak flared. "Like I was sayin', normally I wouldn't drag ya into this, but the rumors in question are about a hidden log-out point. So we need to handle this today before anyone gets hurt."

Heh, Kirito smiled silently, she acts all mercenary but deep down she cares about the other players. "Lead the way," he said. "Asuna, Leafa, do you want to come along?"

"Of course," the girls chorused immediately.

Argo led the three of them to a forest, in the middle of the wilderness. Frenzied Boars filled the forest, but the four of them were high-enough level that the mob cursors were a light pink and the enemies ignored them. "Here it is," Argo said, pointing at a cave straight ahead of them. The entrance was covered with vines and moss, but it was still obvious to anyone looking for it. "Alright, the logout spot's supposed to be -"

 _Rooooar!_

"Aw crap!" Argo yelped as a loud, animalistic roar echoed through the cave. "The field boss!"

Before Kirito could demand she explain, a hulking figure emerged from the darkness, and he drew his swords without a word. The massive kobold in front of them was much larger than the Kobold Foragers they'd been fighting that morning. "It stinks," Asuna complained, drawing her sword.

"Like wet dog," Leafa muttered. "Are we really gonna fight this thing?"

"We can take it, easy," Argo said. "'Specially if we got Kii-boy here. Right?"

Kirito grinned tightly, feeling his heart begin to race. "Yeah," he said. "Let's go!"

...

Plunging from the sky, Kirito's Anneal Blade slashed down the large mob's back, nearly splitting it in half. The Kobold Ravager shattered like glass, and Kirito sheathed his blades with a flourish. "Not bad, not bad," Argo said with a grin. "I forgot how much I liked watchin' ya fight."

"You were great, Kazuto!" Leafa said, hugging one of Kirito's arms to her chest.

Kirito grinned at his little sister before turning to Argo. "This is enough, right?"

The info broker nodded and folded her arms behind her head. "Yep," she said. "It's not legit, like we thought. Guess I'm gonna go have ta take care of my imposter..."

"Just don't turn orange," Kirito said with a shrug.

"...Orange?" Asuna asked blankly.

Argo's face lit up, but Kirito reached out and pressed a finger to her lips. She blinked in surprise, and he said, "The color of the player cursor depends on whether they've committed a crime or not. All of ours are green right now, but if you attacked another player then it'd turn orange."

"I get it," Asuna said, nodding. "So it's a way to mark which players are dangerous. I see..."

Kirito nodded and turned to Argo. "Sorry, but I didn't want her to pay for the information," he said. "...Argo?" The poor girl was bright red, eyes nearly crossed as she stared at the finger pressed lightly against her lips. As the contact continued, she got redder and redder, until it looked like her face was about to catch fire. After a second, Kirito jerked away and stammered, "S-Sorry! Sorry, I didn't think, I just tried to stop you."

"I-It's okay, Kii-boy," Argo said, tugging her hood over her face to hide her face. "Speaking of payment, I owe ya for this! So howabout I help out A-chan for free? Generous of me, I know, but it's okay."

"Me?" Asuna asked. "How?"

Argo tilted her head and grinned like a cat. "Well, see, I couldn't help but notice somethin' while ya fought th' boss," she said. "How come yer usin' a longsword when you're tryin' ta fence?"

"Eh?" Asuna tilted her head in confusion. "What are you talking about, Argo?"

Argo shrugged. "When ya swing the sword, it's nice an' quick, but then you take forever gettin' yer sword back up. If ya used a rapier, that'd solve the problem."

"That's what it was!" Leafa said, clapping a fist in her palm. "I knew I recognized that. It's kinda like how Kazuto would always struggle to block when we were practicing kendo because he's used to using two swords!"

Kirito stared at Argo. "How do you even know all this?"

"I'm an info broker," Argo said with a cat-like smile, spreading her arms. "'Course I'll know what I'm talking about, Kii-boy!"

"A rapier..." Asuna hummed in thought before swiping open her menu. "I think I have one in my inventory..."

She tapped her menu a few times before a thin, slender sheath appeared on her hip, replacing the sword on her back. Asuna pulled the rapier from the sheath and examined the blade, tilting it back and forth in the light. Grinning, Argo took a cross-legged seat on a nearby rock. "An' since I'm in a givin' mood today, I'll even throw in my guide for free," she said. Tapping a button, she pulled out a thin book and tossed it to Asuna. It was labeled 'SAO Strategy Guide', and had a little mouse stamp on the bottom.

The girl caught it and started flipping through the guidebook rapidly. "I see," she said. Argo, Leafa, and Kirito stared blankly at the girl. "Frenzied Boar... A.k.a. Blue Boar, is a non-active... Oh, Kirito called it non-aggressive. The source of data and prerequisites are somewhat vague. Did the author test this information to determine the accuracy?"

"S...sorry," Argo muttered.

"But it's excellent for a starting player, or even one with a small amount of experience. Well indexed, plenty of notes and explanations, even a few images and diagrams."

"Th...Thanks."

"Rapier is... this entry. The starter skill is 'Linear'. Focus on the tip and twist..."

With a _whoosh_ Asuna flashed forward. "Oh," she said as she stabbed a Frenzied Boar, instantly killing it with a single blow. "It worked." The wind of her passage made Argo's hair flutter.

The info broker whirled around to stare, jaw dropped in amazement. She stared at Asuna. Leafa stared at Asuna. Kirito stared at Asuna.

"Hm," Asuna said as she straightened up. Kirito realized that her hood had fallen back, and the look on Asuna's face was soft and warm as she studied the rapier. Once again, he wondered how he'd been so lucky as to make friends with such a pretty girl. "This _was_ easier than the longsword."

"Kii-boy," Argo said, still staring in total shock at Asuna while Leafa ran over to ask how exactly she did that. "Yer sittin' on a gold mine, ya know that?"

"She's mine and I'm not giving her to you," he replied immediately.

"Rats."

...

It took a little bit longer for the temporary party of four to return to town, mainly because Asuna was in love with her rapier and kept getting distracted by Frenzied Boars. Any time she would see one in the forest, the only warning the others would have would be the scrape of steel as she drew her rapier.

Usually, only Kirito was able to react in time, and even then he was rarely able to say anything before Asuna _whooshed_ away, stabbing through the blue mob.

"Thankies again for the help," Argo said as they entered the Safe Zone. "Things went a lot smoother with some backup."

"No problem, Argo," Kirito said with a smile. "Let us know if you need anything else, okay?"

"Yeah, gotcha. Gotta run, Kii-boy and girls," Argo said with a chipper tone as she waved goodbye. "Oh yeah! Kii-boy, if ya ever wanna share a bed again, jus' lemme know, 'kay? I know I had a lotta fun last time!"

Kirito froze, hand still raised in a return wave, as murderous auras sprang to life on either side of him. "Ka-zu-to," Asuna and Leafa ground out simultaneously, "what is she talking about?"

A bead of nervous sweat rolled down his face. "I, uh..."

As he grinned weakly at the girls, he silently cursed Argo for getting one last jab in before leaving him in the lurch. Seriously, that girl was way too troublesome...

* * *

 **October 7th, 2022**

Kirito sighed and sheathed his sword. "Alright," he called out. "Sorry, but I have to cut today's practice short, okay?"

"Awww," a chorus of young voices answered him. Still, despite their disappointment, the children nearby sheathed their weapons and prepared to head back to the Town of Beginnings.

Kirito looked out at the crowd of players nearby - most young, a rare few his age or older - and hid a sigh. How did he get stuck doing this? he asked himself again. Then, he remembered exactly what had led to this situation.

It was pretty simple, all things considered. Because he had to take care of Asuna and Leafa, Kirito had delayed setting out on the road for a few days. Instead of rushing to Horunka, the three of them had gone out to the boar fields every day and fought the Frenzied Boars surrounding the Town of Beginnings. It was the safest way for Asuna and Leafa to learn how to fight. Or, well, Asuna needed to learn; Leafa had picked up the basics well enough during the first day.

At some point during the second day, Kirito realized that while he was demonstrating the start-up motion for the Horizontal skill, a small group of children were following him. The few that had one-handed swords were aping the motions until one boy got the motion right and cheered loudly.

Obviously, he couldn't just let them run around unsupervised, but what else was he going to do? In the end, he'd turned into a teacher of sorts for the day, helping the kids learn how to use their weapons as best he could. Things escalated from there; the next day, all of the kids that had been there the day before were gathered, as well as a small group of older players. When he saw everyone waiting, Kirito had just scratched his head in confusion while Asuna and Leafa laughed.

Even now, a month into the game, he was still teaching the introduction classes to anyone who wanted to learn. Mostly, it was just kids.

"Um, Mister Kirito..."

Kirito looked over and smiled. The young girl nervously approaching him was one of the most promising of his 'students'; she was getting pretty talented at using her sword and shield, even if Silica tended to flinch and run away from enemies rather than stand her ground. She'd have to learn not to do that, but the twin-tailed girl was shaping up to be pretty good. "I've told you, Silica, you don't need to add Mister, Kirito is fine."

"Oh, um, Kirito... Do you really have to leave?" the girl asked.

He smiled and patted her head gently. "I do," he said. "There's a meeting with the frontliners this afternoon, and I have to get back to my friends before then."

"Aw..." The girl - she couldn't be older than Sugu, Kirito realized in a sudden rush - pouted, but didn't protest further. She didn't mention the headpats either, so Kirito indulged for a few more seconds. His sister would always complain and paw at her hair when he touched it, even though the two metal clips kept her bangs out of her face. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you gonna talk about there?"

Kirito smiled, and raised a hand. Pointing to the sky above them, he said, "We're having the first ever boss meeting. We're gonna beat this boss, and find out what's above us."

...

Kirito knocked on the door to the bedroom. "Come in," he heard Asuna say through the wood. Once he had permission Kirito opened the door and stepped inside. It was a rustic room, and surprisingly homey for being a building they'd had to unlock through a quest chain. It also had a bathroom connected to the bedroom, and he'd never seen Asuna happier than when she'd first realized there was a bath.

Seriously, he could have sworn he'd seen sparkles in her eyes. The incredibly loud sigh of contentment, because of course she'd immediately stepped inside and slammed the door behind her to take a bath, had also been a small clue to how happy the bath made her.

In any event, there was only one bedroom with two beds, despite the three of them renting out the entire top floor, so they had to share. Kirito was always acutely aware of the dangers he could encounter if he entered without knocking; even though they were part of the party and so the doors couldn't be locked on him, he always knocked first. Just to be on the safe side.

...Though if he were to be entirely honest with himself, he _had_ imagined what Asuna looked like as she took that bath...

"Teaching the other players again, Kazuto?" Asuna asked. She was sitting on the bed she shared with Leafa, studying her rapier. The Wind Fleuret in her hands was a nice rapier that dropped from nearby mobs, and she took care of it seriously. She nodded briskly after a second and sheathed it again, leaning the weapon against the nearby dresser. "Sugu was worried you were going to be late."

"That's why I finished early today," Kirito said. It was a routine thing by this point that he'd go and teach a class on introductory Sword Skills on the weekends. "Where is Leafa, anyway?"

"Right here, Kazuto," Leafa said as she opened the door. "I went to stock up on potions for all of us, just in case."

Kirito smiled. "Great. Thanks, Leafa."

"No problem!" his sister said happily.

Since they still had a little bit of time before the meeting in Tolbana, Kirito idly wondered if he should go out and grind some of the nearby Kobold mobs a little bit more, before deciding that the best move would be to lie down and get a nap in before the meeting. After all, he was a little worried that tensions were going to come to a head, and he and the girls were already level 12.

Yeah, he thought as he flopped on the bed, a nap sounds nice right about... now...

...

 _Kazuto and Suguha were walking hand in hand down a street lined with festival stalls. He wore a simple grey yukata, while his little sister wore a cute kimono with a flower pattern. The two of them were having a great time, though Kazuto was frowning a little bit. Suguha, on the other hand, was giggling happily. "It's not that funny, Sugu," Kazuto complained._

 _"She thought we were sisters," the eight-year-old girl laughed. "It's because you look like a girl!"_

 _"Not fair," Kazuto sighed, but he smiled. "Hey, wanna go get a candy apple?"_

 _"Yeah!" The two of them, still holding hands, ran over to a nearby stall and asked politely for one of the candy apples that the man was selling. He laughed and handed it to Suguha, while Kazuto solemnly fetched the money their mom had given him and paid for the treat._

 _He turned back to Suguha after putting the change away to ask for part of the apple, only to see that she'd already taken several huge bites out of it. Sugar was smeared around her mouth a little bit where she'd gotten sloppy. "Hey, Sugu," Kazuto complained. "I want some."_

 _"Here!" she said easily, thrusting the apple at him. Kazuto took it and took a huge bite._

 _Mmmm, he thought as he swallowed, this tastes really good. He took another few bites before Suguha pouted at him in irritation and snatched it back. "I wasn't finished," he complained._

 _"You already ate half! It's my turn!"_

...

That's weird, Kirito thought as he woke up abruptly. Why was he dreaming of that? After a second, he shrugged, attributing the memory to the peculiarities of sleeping in the game.

"Kazuto," Asuna said, and she had a strange note to her voice. "Is there a way to take pictures in this game?"

"Not until the fifth Floor," he answered sleepily, without opening his eyes. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason," she said innocently.

Kirito shrugged and sat up, rubbing his eyes and stretching luxuriously. Yeah, that was a good nap. And right on schedule, he noted as he checked the clock. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah!" the girls chorused.

The atmosphere in Tolbana, Kirito noticed as they entered the town proper, was a lot different than the day before. More players were wandering around the streets of the town, chatting more animatedly, and out enjoying the day before the October chill set in. "Wow," Asuna murmured, "there's more people here than I expected..." She'd pulled her hood up to cover her face. Leafa, on the other hand, was walking around without a care in the world.

"News spreads," Kirito said. "Especially with Argo spreading the news with that newspaper of hers. I think every player that's over level 10 is gonna show. At least, I hope so."

The meeting took place at the amphitheater in the center of town, so the three of them made their way down the street. Cracked pillars lined the street as they approached, starting to cast long shadows in the afternoon sun. The amphitheater itself already had players gathering, mostly down near the bottom of the amphitheater, and while Asuna might have been wearing a hood Kirito still didn't want any more attention than he really needed. Enough players knew about the classes he taught, and he wasn't that comfortable with the looks he'd sometime get in towns. So, the three of them sat up near the top of the amphitheater, a bit removed from everyone else.

Asuna, on his left, stared down at the rest of the players and listened to the sound of their chatter. "So many players," she murmured. "All here to clear the boss..."

Kirito shook his head. "You're still thinking about this too naively, Asuna," he said. She looked at him, tilting her head. "These people aren't here out of the goodness of their hearts. Not entirely, at least. I'm sure that there's a few of us here to help out -"

"Like us," Leafa chimed in, from his right.

Kirito scratched at his cheek. "...But a lot of us are here because we can't stand to be left behind. Me too, to some extent. You two aren't as big gamers, so you might not feel the same way, but... being left behind, not being at the front? I don't want that."

Leafa tapped his shoulder. "...You stayed behind to help us get used to fighting," she said.

"Yeah, of course I did," he said instantly. "Is that... important?"

His sister smiled. "Oh, it's nothing," she said. Still, Kirito got the strangest feeling that she was incredibly pleased with herself. The look on her face... Her half-lidded eyes and a small, curved smile gave the impression of total smugness. When he looked at Asuna, to see if she knew anything, he stared straight into her eyes. If he didn't know better, he'd say they were sparkling.

A sharp clap caught his attention and Kirito turned to face forward. A man had taken the center stage; Kirito could tell his metal breastplate was high quality, and the blue hair marked him as a talented player. The easiest way to get that hair dye, he knew, was to complete a quest in the southern edge of Floor 1. "Thank you all for coming today!" he called out, his voice rising over the player chatter. "My name is Diavel, and in this game, I like to think of myself as a knight!"

...

Asuna let out a quiet sigh as the player Diavel started talking about how he was a knight. It must have been a joke she didn't quite understand, because the players laughed. Even Kirito chuckled a little bit.

Still, she couldn't quite focus on the speech Diavel was giving. Part of it was the warm, happy feeling filling her from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. Kirito had delayed for them! Of course Asuna was thrilled. He _cared_ about them.

That was only part of her distraction, though. The other part was what Kirito said earlier, bouncing around in her head. 'A lot of us are here because we can't stand to be left behind.' The look in his eyes when he talked about what drove the players... It was intense. Was that the kind of intensity... that she'd had when she studied for her tests, to stay in the top ten of her school? The top two percent of the country?

If that were the case, Asuna wondered, then were she and the other players in this game really so different? No, not at all. So, then, she would pour all of her effort into striking faster than anyone else, and fly swifter, so she could climb high up this floating castle next to Kirito and Leafa.

...Oh no, had she become a _gamer_?! Had it happened? Had her best friends finally corrupted her? Asuna shook her head to banish the thoughts and giggled helplessly. Even when Kirito and Leafa looked her way, she just smiled at them. It was her own private joke, after all. And she did like those two particular gamers.

In doing so, she finally managed to focus on the meeting at hand. "Today," Diavel was saying, arm outstretched theatrically, "our party discovered the first Floor boss chamber! The time has come to beat the boss and reach the second Floor! Though it's taken an entire month, we now have the chance to show everyone that someday we will beat this death game! As the top-level players, that's our duty! Isn't that right?!"

Asuna nodded, impressed with the man's speech-making skills.

"Hang on a sec, sir Knight!"

The loud voice startled her, and she looked over to the side. A spiky-haired man was standing on the steps. "Gotta get this offa my chest," he said, stomping down the steps and onto the stage.

"What's on your mind, friend?" Diavel asked, smiling politely. "Opinions are always welcome. However, I'd ask you to introduce yourself first."

"Hmph," the man snorted. "The name's Kibaou." Then, he took a deep breath, and shouted, " **C'mon, you cowardly beta testers! Show yerselves!** I know there's five or ten of 'em here! Apologize to the fifteen hundred people who already died because you were too busy hoggin' everything to yourselves to help the newbies!"

Asuna's eyes widened, and she shot to her feet. How _dare_ that man insult Kazuto?! she thought furiously. Her anger blinded her to the murmurs of the other players gathered, and to the hushed cries of both Kirito and Leafa as she strode down to the amphitheater. Glaring at Kibaou the whole time, she opened up her menu and pulled out a specific item.

As the Strategy Guide Argo had given her weeks ago appeared in her hand, she demanded, "How dare you? You're saying that the beta testers didn't help new players? Then what do you call this?" She held the guide in the air, her cloak rippling around her. "This Strategy Guide written by Argo the Rat is available at every item shop, for free. And I _know_ for a fact that certain beta testers hold introductory lessons to the game every weekend, where anybody can go and learn how to activate the basic Sword Skills. The information is _out_ there," she snapped, "and we've all used it to stay alive. So don't you dare claim that every beta tester is guilty of abandoning new players. What else _should_ we do, but be grateful for the information we've been given?"

Kibaou gritted his teeth, but didn't say anything. In fact, a strange silence had fallen across the entire crowd of players. Asuna looked out at them, hidden in her hood, and fidgeted awkwardly at the shocked stares. Oh, right... She remembered Kirito mentioning that girl players were really rare. They were probably all trying to memorize her appearance.

...Game addicts were gross, she decided. At least, when she looked up, Kirito and Leafa were just hurrying down the steps instead of being entranced by just the fact that she was female.

An abrupt clapping sound made her jump. Halfway to the stage, Kirito and Leafa came to an awkward halt. "Well said," Diavel said from right behind her, and she whirled while stepping away. "It's as she said! Our enemy is not beta testers. It's the Floor boss. And I have here," he said, pulling an item out of his menu, "the newest copy of the Strategy Guide, released an hour ago. It's a special edition - a strategy guide for the boss."

"The Rat has a boss guide?!" "But we just found the boss chamber..." "How did she get the info out so quickly?" players murmured.

"The boss's name. Estimated HP. Sword Skills. Attack damage. Accompanying mobs. Everything we need to fight and win is in here," Diavel continued. "And we will do so without any fatalities. If there's any fault with the information, then I will defend us all. I swear it on my honor as a knight!" he proclaimed, thumping his chest with a fist. "It seems fitting," he added as the assembled players grinned. "Since we have a _princess_."

Asuna flinched. Embarrassed, she ducked her head and hurried off the stage, rushing for the safety of Kirito and Leafa. She could feel the eyes watching her the whole way and was glad for the hooded cloak that covered up most of her body.

"Alright," Diavel said as the three party members took a seat. "It's about time to start the planning. First, we have to form proper raid parties. We're looking for six parties of seven, so team up with your friends and others around you."

Asuna blanched. Looking at Kirito, he seemed just as pale. Leafa didn't seem as shaken as the other two, and in fact was staring at them in confusion. The problem was... Asuna looked around, and sure enough, the other players were already grouping up. As she'd expected, five groups had already formed in rough circles. There was no way there would be any room for all three of them. Just like in her school, when the other girls wouldn't -

"So, you three are together?"

Diavel was approaching them, smiling weakly. "Uh... yeah," Kirito said awkwardly when neither Asuna nor Leafa spoke up. Asuna was still shaken from the memories of her school, but she wasn't sure why Leafa didn't say anything.

"Forgive me!" Diavel exclaimed, bowing abruptly. "But can I ask you to back up the team handling the Kobold Guards?"

Kirito scratched his cheek. "Yeah, it's no problem," he said. "We don't have the numbers for a full raid party, after all."

Diavel let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Thanks for understanding."

"It's an important job after all," Kirito said.

"I see," Diavel said, smiling. "But, as a knight, I'm jealous that you get to guard two princesses," he added, holding up a fist.

Kirito bumped it lightly as Asuna and Leafa stared daggers at his back. Asuna was almost offended that the blue-haired man would think she needed to be defended! "Ha ha. Yeah... It's an important job, alright," Kirito said weakly.

"Calling me a princess," Leafa muttered under her breath. "I can be a knight too..."

...

Once the meeting was over, Diavel offered to hold a practice session with any team that wanted to join, but Asuna, Leafa, and Kirito decided to head off. "After all," Asuna muttered under her breath, "we're just the _backup_ killers. They should just say we're not part of the main team."

"Well, there's only three of us," Kirito pointed out.

"I know," Asuna muttered. "It's just... Oh, nevermind. I shouldn't take it out on you."

Leafa blinked. "Asuna, is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. I'm just a little irritated by that... that... that cactus-head, still."

"Nya hah hah! Cactus-head, that's a good one. I'll have to remember that, A-chan." The three of them jumped at the sudden laugh that seemed to come from nowhere. Even looking around, Asuna missed the hooded figure until Argo seemed to melt out from a cracked pillar's shadow. "Yo," she said.

Kirito smiled. "Hey, Argo. Listening in?"

"'Course I was, you know me," she said with a cat-like grin. "Gotta say, pret~ty impressed by yer little speech, A-chan. I think I might even owe ya a favor for keepin' those guys off lil' old me's back. So, as a special favor, I'll promise not ta sell Kii-boy info 'bout that cute underwear ya bought yesterday."

Argo grinned like she was doing a huge favor, but the others didn't exactly react like she had. Leafa immediately whirled on Kirito and started demanding, "Why would you _buy_ information on something like that?!"

"I'm not! I don't!" Kirito waved his hands in front of him, looking away from the angry girl.

Meanwhile, Asuna was blushing bright red as she rounded on Argo. "How do you know about that?!" she wailed, mortified. She hadn't seen Argo anywhere when she visited that shop! She might be best friends with Kirito, but there were still limits! H-Her underwear was definitely, absolutely off-limits! "Argo!"

"Nya hah hah!" The info broker laughed impishly, grinning at her even as Asuna loomed over her, nearly in tears. "Sorry, A-chan, only one freebie! Yer gonna have to pay for that if you really wanna know."

Someone coughed behind them, and Asuna blinked in surprise. When she straightened up and turned around, she didn't recognize the very large, dark-skinned man. An axe-head poked out over his shoulder; it was double-bladed, something that Asuna hadn't seen before. His muscular arms, with his bald head, almost intimidated Asuna before she noticed the expression on his face - an easy-going grin that instantly set her at ease. "Can we help you?" Leafa asked.

The man grinned wider. "Just wanted to say a quick thank you to the Princess over there," he said, his voice a deep rumble. "For standin' up for the beta testers. You beat me to it by a second, or I woulda been the one up there."

Asuna fidgeted. "I just couldn't let him keep saying those things," she said. "It wasn't fair."

"Whatever your reason, you did a good job up on that stage."

"Thank you, Mister..." Asuna smiled, but trailed off when she realized she didn't actually know the man's name.

"The name's Agil," the giant said. "Anyway, just wanted to say that. My own group is waiting for me, so I'll leave you three."

Three? Asuna wondered. There were four of them... When she turned around to look for Argo, she realized the tiny info broker had disappeared while her back was turned. "Grrr..." Asuna muttered, her ears burning from just the memory of what the Rat had said. "I'm going to find her, and when I do..."

"Instead of that," Leafa said, patting Asuna's shoulder sympathetically, "we can go back to the room and take a bath. I want to just soak for a while."

Immediately, Asuna's mood brightened at the prospect of taking a nice, warm bath. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Sugu," she said. "Let's go."

...

"Aaaaaaah!"

The pair of incredibly contented sighs echoed out through the wooden door, and Kirito flinched. As the sound of the girls' conversation started up, he tried his best to ignore the barely-legible sound of their voices through sheer willpower. When that failed, he pulled out a copy of the Boss edition of Argo's Strategy Guide and started poring over it, studying the pages intently.

About fifteen minutes later, he realized he was holding it upside down and flipped it.

As he'd expected, the boss was Illfang the Kobold Lord. The Ruin Kobold Sentinels, the approximate health the boss had, even the fact that once the boss was near death it would discard the axe and shield for a talwar: everything in the guide was information that could only have been gathered by a beta tester. Argo was really going out on a limb, Kirito mused as he flipped through the pages.

Before he could get too invested in the book, someone knocked a familiar rapping pattern on the door. _Nok nok nok-nok_. Kirito looked up at the door and frowned. Why was Argo visiting them? Especially this late at night?

He opened the door. "Argo," he said. "It's a surprise to see you this late."

"Yo," Argo said nonchalantly, raising a hand in greeting. "I'm comin' in." Then, putting action to words, she casually lifted Kirito's arm a little bit and ducked under. A little non-plussed, but sadly used to this sort of thing, Kirito shut the door behind her.

"Is there a reason for the visit, or..."

"Nah," Argo said breezily. "Just comin' ta say hello. I'm guessin' the gals are in th' bathroom?" Kirito nodded silently. "Cool! Gonna head on in with them, then."

Kirito nodded silently - before Argo's words registered. "Wait, Argo?!" he yelped. Before he could do anything, though, the info broker had already opened the door and slipped through.

"Wah- Argo?!" Asuna's shout was muffled by the door closing behind Argo. Almost immediately after that, the girls' conversation abruptly dissolved into squeals, shouting, and splashing that Kirito did his absolute best _not_ to imagine what was happening on the other side of that door.

He was mostly successful.

By the time the girls came out of the bath, all looking refreshed - and, in Asuna and Leafa's case, a little red-cheeked, not that Kirito wanted to think about what would have caused that - he was about ready to call it a night. "Alright," Argo said easily, wearing a loose shirt and shorts. "So who gets what bed?"

"Huh?" Kirito asked blankly. "Normally, Asuna and Leafa sleep in that one, and I-"

"I'm sleeping with Kazuto tonight," Leafa said, interrupting him. "We're siblings after all, so it's not strange. Plus, we shared a bed when we were kids."

"Can't argue with that," Argo said. "Guess it's me an' A-chan."

Kirito looked back and forth between the girls, confused. "I think I missed something."

"I'm sleepin' in yer room tonight," Argo said brightly. "For luck!"

"What's lucky about it, exactly?" Kirito muttered.

Argo grinned. "Don't sweat the small stuff, Kii-boy."

Kirito just sighed. Dealing with Argo, especially when he was this tired, wasn't really worth it. So, he decided to just change into his pajamas - a comfortable black shirt and pants that he'd picked up along the way while Asuna and Leafa had been shopping for their own pajamas - and sit in the bed, reading over the Boss guide.

He wasn't sure how long he spent reading the guide, but it was definitely late once he finished going over it. Beside him, Leafa was fast asleep, hand lightly clutching at the sheets. Yeah, he remembered, she always was a grabby sleeper... It probably explained why she had so many plushies in her room back in the real world.

When he glanced at the other bed, Argo was sitting up, Asuna's head resting gently on her lap. She stroked the girl's long hair lightly before looking up to notice that Kirito was watching her. Once Argo knew, of course, she gave him the smuggest grin possible. "Stealin' yer girl, Kii-boy," she whispered, careful not to wake either of the sleeping girls.

It didn't matter, Kirito knew, since the system wouldn't send signals while they were asleep, but it was automatic to whisper. "She's not my girl," he protested in a whisper of his own. "We're best friends."

"Uh huh," Argo said, giving him an exaggerated wink. "An' I bet there's nothin' to the rumors of you seducin' three pretty ladies an' takin' them back to your inn room, either?"

"You know there's not," Kirito said flatly. "I'm going to bed, Argo."

"Night, Kii-boy~."

...

When Kirito woke up, he didn't _expect_ to be staring straight into Argo's brown eyes, her whiskered face incredibly close and her lithe body snuggled up against him, but there he was, in that exact situation.

Once she realized he was awake, Argo grinned. "Mornin', Kii-boy. Sleep well? Any dreams of yours truly?"

Kirito tried to figure out how to reply to those questions, and eventually settled on a neutral, "Why are you in my bed, Argo?"

"Ya looked comfy. Yer sis seems to think so, at any rate."

Kirito glanced over his shoulder, careful not to move, and realized that Leafa, sometime during the night, had rolled over and transferred her grip to his shirt while nuzzling against his back. Turning back to Argo, he watched the girl carefully before saying, "Do you want us to..."

He trailed off, but the info broker seemed to know exactly what he was going to say anyway. "I'll be fine, Kii-boy," she said. "Don't need to worry about me. With A-chan's little speech yesterday, even if players suspect I'm a beta tester they won't do anythin'. Hmm... Guess I kinda owe you a lil' somethin' too, for puttin' on those lessons an' helpin' me out with the Strategy Guide."

"Put it on my tab," he said instantly.

The girl's whiskers twitched as she giggled. "Nya hah hah. A favor it is, then. If ya ever need somethin', lemme know." With a shimmy and a wriggle, she slipped away from Kirito's chest and out of the bed, landing lightly on her feet. "Anyway, I'm gonna scurry away," she said. "Seriously, though, Kii-boy, good luck on the boss fight. You an' the girls aren't allowed to get hurt, got it?"

"We won't, Argo. We'll be careful," Kirito promised. The info broker gave him a rare, honest smile before switching back to her regular hood and tugging it over her head. She slipped out the door, and it closed behind her with a soft click.

Well, Kirito figured, nothing else to do than get started. He tried to get out of bed, only for a sharp yank to remind him that Leafa was still clinging on. As her arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer, he was forced to acknowledge at least one thing.

His little sister... definitely had a tight grip. But, on the other hand, he _was_ comfortable, and he _did_ enjoy spending time with her, so this really wasn't the worst way to spend a morning, Kirito decided.

* * *

The three of them spent a lazy day getting prepared for the boss raid, and before they knew it, the day was upon them. Walking to the Labyrinth was eventless; the few mobs that were stupid enough to challenge a full raid party were handled in short order, without anyone getting so much as a scratch. The Labyrinth itself was easy, too. Diavel's group had cleared the way the day before, and the most dangerous mobs hadn't re-popped.

Before too long, the raid party stood in front of the looming Boss doors. They were rough-hewn stone, with cracked and chipped reliefs depicting large dog-headed creatures - the kobolds that were everywhere in the latter half of the Floor. The doors gave off an ominous aura, matched with the flickering torchlight of the Labyrinth. Kirito felt Leafa brush up a little closer to him, but Asuna stood firmly by his side, staring up at the door.

He leaned over. "We can do this," he told her. "Don't worry."

"I'm not," she said after a second, smiling at him. "Because I know you and Sugu are with me, Kazuto."

Kirito grinned at her, then looked back front when Diavel started to speak. Despite not talking too loudly, in case mobs were attracted to the sound, his voice carried clearly across everyone. "I'm incredibly proud of everyone here," he said, "for showing up. To tell the truth, I was tempted to call things off if even a single player didn't show, but here you all are!"

A round of laughs and cheers answered the joke. Kirito was just glad that the players didn't seem to be too worried. By his side, Leafa's eyes narrowed slightly as she hummed under her breath. " _Too_ confident is just as bad as not confident enough," she murmured when Kirito looked at her.

"I think we'll be fine," Kirito whispered. "We're all high enough level that we can handle the adds easily."

"Yeah," Leafa smiled.

"I just have one last thing to say," Diavel called out. Then, he raised his sword in the air, torchlight reflecting off of it. "Let's win!"

"YEAH!" the players shouted. The war cries were, Kirito mused, somewhat similar to the panicked screams of ten thousand trapped players, a month ago in the square of the Town of Beginnings.

With one last smile at all of them, Diavel turned and pushed open the doors of the first Floor's Labyrinth. The stone slabs ground in protest, but swung open ponderously until the players could rush through. With more shouts, the players ran forward, swords out as they charged into the boss room.

The boss room was huge, bigger than Kirito remember, although that could be because a single mistake could be fatal this time. Even as the raid members spread out, it didn't seem to him like they were taking up that much space. Tall pillars lined a stone path, but beyond that the gloom of the room was too dark for Kirito, Asuna, or Leafa to see anything.

On the right, a torch lit itself with no visible cause. Another lit itself after that, then another and another down the massive hall. Each one increased the light levels of the room, making the colossal shape at the end of the hallway visible little by little.

A large throne sat on a dais, and a large kobold sat on the throne. The monster was red-skinned, wearing a few pieces of armor - just gauntlets, greaves, and a helmet, though they didn't cover the starburst pattern of scar tissue on Illfang's chest. One hand clutched an axe with a wicked-sharp edge, and the other held a sheathed sword. Three fully-armored kobolds flanked the huge boss, carrying spears of their own. Illfang, the Kobold Lord.

"That's... a boss..." Asuna whispered, grip on her Wind Fleuret tight.

A growl rumbled in the large kobold's chest as the players grouped together, clustering in an unconscious search for safety. Ponderously, Illfang got to its feet and threw back its head, letting out a roar that shook the stones under their feet. "His main weapon is a bone axe. Backup is a talwar!" Diavel shouted. "Accompanied by three sentinels! It all matches the intel! And we can win this thing! Follow my lead!" he shouted, charging forward.

Kirito, Asuna, and Leafa exchanged a quick glance before they ran forward, weapons out.

...

"Alright!" Diavel called out, gesturing with his sword. "The boss is in pattern C! Tank Team A, pull back! Team D, forward! Team B, prepare for the next pattern!"

Asuna couldn't help but glance at the main fight in awe. Even with the threat of death, she thought, they're all fighting. The fighters were going up against a beast taller than any of them, even the large tank Agil, and they were still doing well. Thanks to Diavel's shouts, they were able to keep cycling well and keep their HP up.

Even the groups fighting the Ruin Kobold Sentinels were fighting hard, although Asuna was a little less impressed with Kibaou's crass method of shouting. "I said drink the pot!" he shouted as he forced a potion into the mouth of one of his party members on red health.

Shaking her head, Asuna turned her attention back to her own Sentinel. With a lightning-fast strike, the point of her rapier sank into the small gap between the Ruin Kobold Sentinel's suit of armor and helmet. The dog monster recoiled with a sharp yip, and she drew her rapier back with a flourish. "Switch!" she called out.

A black blur rushed past her, and with a heavy blow Kirito swung his swords. The first blade wasn't glowing, but the one in his left hand had a blue shine to it. The right Anneal Blade knocked the Ruin Kobold Sentinel's mace away, and the left one slammed into its side. The savage combination, as well as Asuna's own strike, was enough to drain the last of the Ruin Kobold's health and destroy it.

As the mob shattered behind him, Kirito sheathed one Anneal Blade and pulled out a potion. He popped out the cork with his teeth and drank it down, looking almost bored with the fighting. Asuna couldn't help but smile as a strange shiver ran down her spine.

"Switch!" Leafa called out, and Asuna turned. Before even thinking twice, she had launched forward, rapier driving in a Linear aimed straight for the staggered monster. "Thanks, Asuna!"

"No problem!" she replied sharply.

As the monster died, she turned to see Kibaou standing near Kirito. He grimaced. "Don't get full 'a yerself," the spiky-haired man growled. "I've heard all about the stories 'bout the beta tester who uses two swords. Ya stole a buncha the Last Attack Bonuses, didn'tcha? Well, you're not gonna get this one! It belongs ta -"

"Asuna, Leafa," Kirito said calmly, "the second wave of Sentinels have higher stats, be careful." Kibaou's eyes bulged at the casual dismissal, but Kirito didn't glance at him. "We're up."

"Right!" Asuna and Leafa chorused.

They fought, killing the mobs whenever they spawned. Kirito, Asuna, and Leafa were in a league all of their own, handling the ones that Kibaou's group missed or had to let through. Even though there were only three of them, they worked together so well that the Ruin Kobold Sentinels didn't stand a chance.

Kirito and Asuna paused, panting as their last Kobold died. With a tired grin, Kirito gave her a thumbs up. Asuna smiled back.

Backing up after whipping the edge of her rapier across a kobold's chest, letting Kirito take the attack, Asuna bumped into someone. She turned and smiled when she met Leafa's eyes.

" **Oooooh!** "

Asuna and Leafa whirled at the loud shout, only for their eyes to widen as they saw Illfang throwing its head back and roaring. The buckler shield and axe it had been holding clattered to the stone floor. "Yes!" Diavel shouted joyfully. "We're nearly there! He dropped the axe! Here comes his secondary weapon, the talwar! Everyone remember what to do? The basic's the same: deflect the weapon, hit his throat!"

With a dark growl, Illfang reached behind its back and gripped the hilt of the wrapped weapon on its back. It pulled, the leather wrappings falling away. As it hefted the shining, curved blade over its head, Leafa gasped. "Kazuto!" she shouted. "That's a katana!"

"What?!" he exclaimed, before whirling to stare. "...No!" he gasped.

The main group was too far away to hear the discussion, and Team A - the attacking group led by Diavel - was already rushing the boss. "Wait! Stop! Don't do it!" Kirito shouted desperately. "That's not a talwar!"

"Hey!" Kibaou snapped. "Whadda ya mean!"

But, it was too late. Desperately, Kirito ran forward, ignoring Kibaou's angry shout. Asuna and Leafa let out twin cries of concern, but Kirito ignored them as well. Illfang let out an angry roar, a gleam in its red eyes shining, before the katana in its hand glowed a dull, horrible red.

Team A had just reached the boss when it unleashed a spinning slash that struck all around its body. The players in the attack range cried out, knocked flying by the blade. "An AOE skill!" Leafa gasped.

Several players hit the ground roughly, moaning in pain. Illfang crouched, snarling, and launched itself in the air. It bounced off of several pillars, Asuna barely able to keep following it with her eyes, before it slashed down in a savage stroke.

Diavel, still in the air, was unable to dodge and took the attack in full.

The armored knight crashed to the ground, armor rattling. Players shouted in concern, but Kirito didn't turn. He stopped and crouched next to Diavel's unmoving body. Asuna and Leafa ran up next to him, just in time to hear Kirito beg, "...Last Attack Bonus? You're a beta tester, aren't you?"

Diavel's lips moved. "Take it... from here-" he started to say.

And then his health bar reached zero, and he shattered into blue polygons.

Asuna gasped and hugged herself, shivering. This was... the first time she'd encountered death. The first time she saw someone die in front of her. That same cheap effect she saw every time she killed a mob marked the end of a person's life.

She felt someone wrap their arms around her and bury their face against her chest, and she automatically hugged Leafa back.

"Gyaah!" Behind them, more Ruin Sentinel Kobolds spawned, threatening the other members of the raid team. "Th-There's more of them!"

"Nobody said anything about this!"

Asuna whirled. The players were backing up, getting pressured by the adds. What do they do?! Asuna wondered wildly.

"Don't panic!" Kirito shouted. "Just handle them the same as before!"

His shout didn't seem to register with the panicking players. Any semblance of the smooth movement they'd shown earlier, fighting Illfang, had vanished when Diavel died. Asuna stared, horrified. With just one death, they were all going to... All going to -

In front of her, Kirito stood up, gripping his handles. Asuna turned scared eyes on him. "Asuna," he said. "Leafa. Please... even if it's only you, you _have_ to escape! Please!"

Asuna's eyes widened as he stepped forward to face Illfang, both blades at his sides. He was... trying to buy them time. So that they could escape, he would sacrifice himself.

Illfang let out another guttural roar as it raised the katana over its head again. Kirito shouted back, swinging his sword, perfectly timed to counter the strike. Illfang's katana bounced back before the boss snarled and swung again. Kirito's second blade came up smoothly, knocking the second strike back again.

A flurry of strikes followed, Kirito's face set in a fierce snarl as he concentrated with all of his might. Finally, he saw his chance, and swung upwards with his right blade. The glowing sword smashed into Illfang's blade and knocked it away. The boss reeled.

That was when Asuna slammed the point of her rapier directly into the starburst scar on Illfang's throat, dealing a critical hit. "We're partners!" she snapped at Kirito. "So there's no way we're leaving you behind!"

"Yeah," Leafa said, holding her curved sword in front of her, in her usual kendo stance. "There's no way we'd just abandon you like that! So don't even try!"

Kirito spared a glance on either side of him, looking at the determined expression on Asuna and Leafa's faces, before he shook his head. "Alright," he said. "Let's do this. Team B, escort the wounded to the Safe Zone!" he shouted.

"G...Got it!" Agil, the leader of Team B, called back.

"Hrrg... Grrg!" Illfang growled, before launching an attack. Immediately, Kirito was there, his blade curving in a sweeping arc that countered the blow. While Illfang pounded away at Kirito, the boy canceling every Sword Skill the boss tried to use, Asuna slipped to the side. As soon as she had an opening, her rapier thrust forward in a blinding-fast Linear, tearing a gash across the boss's throat.

They could _do_ this. Kirito was a skilled fighter, and he could counter every move the boss made. Asuna felt her lips pull into a tight smile as her Linears scored Illfang's hide. They could -

Kirito jumped, thrusting his sword forward to counter Illfang's slash from the right - but Illfang's sword changed halfway through the attack, crossing over its body to come from the other side. Kirito's eyes widened as the blade came streaking towards him -

With a shout, Leafa jumped in the air and slashed her curved sword down. Sparks flew out as her saber collided with Illfang's katana, stopping the blow dead in its tracks before Kirito could get hurt. Instead, Kirito's thrust passed through the sudden gap in Illfang's defenses and stabbed into the monster's chest.

"We're all clear!" Agil shouted as Illfang staggered back. "Get outta there!"

Kirito glanced over his shoulder. All of the players were standing back at a safe distance. Asuna could hear some of them murmuring to each other. "Hey, should we help them?"

"Look how hard they're fighting..."

"Don't be an idiot, Linear's too weak to do much damage, there's no way."

"It's all 'cause they want the Last Attack Bonus," a familiar voice said, and Asuna recognized Kibaou's harsh tones. "We shouldn't have ta put our lives at risk for their greed!"

"Yeah, don't get me involved in this!"

Asuna looked at Illfang, and how low its health was - deep in the red, barely a sliver remaining - and her expression firmed with determination. Standing tall, she lifted her rapier. "Asuna...?" Kirito murmured.

"If they want to run, we can't stop them," she said, her voice cutting through the other players' complaints. Then, with a deliberate flourish, she grasped the hem of her cloak and tore it free. Her long hair spilled in the air, flowing like silk, and she heard all of the whispered and fearful comments die away immediately. She even heard a few gasps of awe. "But I will not let Diavel's death be in vain!"

Leafa smiled, panting heavily. She adjusted her grip on her saber. "Just like kendo," she murmured. "Can't stop until the match is over, right?"

Kirito stood up, brandishing his twin Anneal Blades. "You're right, Leafa," he said. "There's only a sliver of health left!" he called back to Agil. "We can do this!"

He didn't see the expression on the large man's face because he launched himself forward, flanked by both girls, but Agil shook his head with a small, wry smile.

Illfang roared loudly as the three players closed on it rapidly. It raised its katana over its head and slashed down at Kirito. He dodged out of the way, shifting towards Leafa, but Asuna was just barely able to sidestep the blow. The blow, while close, hadn't hit her, so Asuna didn't hesitate an instant as she brought her rapier up.

 _Shing!_ Her blade slammed into the boss's stomach, stunning it briefly. With a shout, Leafa capitalized on the opening and activated one of her most powerful Sword Skills, Cyclone. She spun on her heel, blade biting into the boss's side as she spun like a top.

Illfang roared as its health dropped, but the bar stopped just before the end. "No!" Asuna gasped as she tried to recover even a half-second faster.

Kirito kicked off of the ground and lunged, slashing with a glowing blade. The Anneal Blade's Slant skill caught Illfang at the left hip and left a red mark all the way up to the right shoulder, launching the boss in the air.

Midair, Illfang's body exploded into hundreds of tiny, glowing shards. Kirito landed on the ground and swayed, before standing tall. As a fanfare played, signaling the end of the boss fight, he thrust his fist in the air.

There was a stunned silence for just long enough for result screens to appear in front of everyone. Once that happened, it seemed to register in the players' minds that they'd actually _won_. "We did iiiiiit!" players started shouting, celebrating with abandon.

Asuna smiled, exhausted but filled with an odd sense of accomplishment. They were only one percent of the way there, but it still felt like they'd finally reached the top of a mountain that seemed insurmountable.

Kirito glanced her way and raised a hand. Asuna blinked, before raising her hand and giving him a high-five.

" _Why?!_ "

Asuna twitched in surprise by the sudden shout, just as she was about to high-five Leafa. She turned to see one of the other players standing stiff, fists clenched by his side. "Why did Diavel have to die?!" he shouted. "He should be the one that got the kill, not this guy! You abandoned him, didn't you?!" he accused, pointing a trembling finger at Kirito.

Asuna's eyes widened as people started whispering. "He knew how to counter all the boss's attacks, didn't he? Why didn't he tell Diavel?" "If Diavel had known, he would have survived..."

"The Last Attack Bonus. You wanted the last attack on the boss, so you deliberately didn't tell Diavel about the sword." This voice wasn't one Asuna recognized, and she couldn't see who was talking. "Isn't that right... beta tester?"

Kirito's eyes darkened as the crowd erupted with hushed whispers. Asuna looked around frantically, but the celebration had disappeared without a trace. They'd turned on Kirito instantly, and she had to do _something._

"Um... I was the one that recognized the katana..."

Asuna turned to see Leafa raising her hand almost sheepishly. The black-haired girl nearly flinched under the sudden attention from all the players but rallied. "And how'd _you_ know?" the person who'd first shouted asked her. "Are you a beta tester too?!"

Leafa shook her head. "What? No. What does that have anything to do with recognizing a weapon? I do kendo, so of course I know what a katana looks like." She tilted her head. "...Are you saying you didn't know what it looked like?"

He gritted his teeth, face slowly turning red, but didn't say anything. Kirito snorted under his breath, and Leafa turned to look at him, the expression on her face confused. It was as if she hadn't realized how innocently savage that question had been.

"As soon as he learned there was a difference between the beta and this fight, he tried to _save_ Diavel," Asuna spoke up, stepping forward to quiet the murmurs. "And while he was unable to save him, we were able to escape the trap because of knowledge he gained from _past_ this point. That's something that was possible only because of beta testers, and the information they've shared. They are not our enemy! Yes, there are greedy and selfish beta testers that use their knowledge only for themselves. But that doesn't mean we should assume that all beta testers are like that!"

"...Can I say somethin'?" Asuna looked over, about to continue her diatribe, but Kibaou's voice stopped her. "Back at the start of the game, I didn't know how to fight. 'Til I heard about the introduction lessons bein' given in the Town of Beginnings. A lotta what I learned there is repeated in that Strategy Guide written by the Rat." The rough man scratched the back of his head. "Back at the boss meeting, the princess over there mentioned the guy givin' lessons is a beta tester. That guy, an' I _guess_ the Rat too, they're helpin' us regular players out. Not like other cheating beta testers. An'… I guess not every beta tester abandoned us new players. It was only a few."

"Cheaters!" "Cheating beta testers!" "What's worse than cheating beta testers?" "They're... They're beaters!" "Beaters!"

The energy in the room shifted slightly, focusing away from Kirito and towards the selfish beta testers. Asuna wasn't quite sure who'd come up with the phrase 'beater', but it seemed to be catching on. "For now," Agil said, "we should probably return to town and rest up."

"What about the next Floor?"

The dark giant grinned, showing off surprisingly white teeth. "Why don't we let them handle it?" he suggested, gesturing at Kirito, Asuna, and Leafa. "They beat the boss after all. Only fair they get to open it up, right?"

"Fine by me," Kibaou muttered.

As the other players cleared out, Agil gave the three players a wink before leaving. Before long, it was just the three of them in the empty boss chamber. Once she was certain they were alone, Asuna sighed with relief. "That was stressful," she sighed.

"Yeah," Leafa mumbled. "I don't know how you do it, Asuna."

"Don't you have people watching you when you're doing kendo?"

"That's not the same, I'm wearing a mask and gear, they can't tell anything about me." Leafa shivered. "It felt like they were staring at me the whole time."

Asuna sighed again. "That's why I wear the cloak," she said. "But I'm not quite sure if it'll work any more..." In order to turn the discussion away from _her_ looks, she coughed and asked Kirito, "What did you get from the boss?"

"Oh, right..." Kirito swiped open his menu. "The Coat of Midnight." He tapped the menu and a black coat materialized around him, settling neatly over his shoulders. It flapped around his legs in an invisible wind before settling down.

"Ooh," Leafa gasped. "You look really cool, Kazuto!"

Kirito grinned at her before turning and walking towards the other end of the hall. "C'mon, let's go activate the second Floor."

"Coming!" the girls chorused, catching up and walking next to him.

* * *

 **Illfang defeated. Go team. Originally, this was intended to be two separate chapters and then I said 'screw it, get the stupid chapter over with.'**

 _ **Anyway**_ **. We've got Argo's first appearance! Hooray! She's a tease, but Kirito is pretty good at handling her when you get down to it. I like to imagine that she's pretty flirty, but has no defenses at all. She's also pretty smart, considering how she was able to pick up and suggest using a rapier to Asuna.**

 **Speaking of Asuna, I like to think that she's a bit more big-sister like, thanks to taking care of those idiot Kirigaya siblings for four years, but is also still her Progressive self (like getting distracted by killing boars for fun). As for how they're using Kazuto's real name, I'm treating as Asuna and Sugu just aren't used to game etiquette quite yet. Plus, look at how they refer to him in canon; Asuna always calls him Kirito (since that's how she met him) and Sugu always says Kazuto (or Nii-chan, but the only person using suffixes is Argo because why not). Since Asuna met him as Kazuto, I figure that's how she'll continue to refer to him. The other girls will use Kirito and Leafa properly, and just politely ignore how those two use his name.**

 **And then we have all of the Illfang stuff. Things change! Things stay the same! Asuna speaks up in defense of beta testers, Kirito isn't blamed for Diavel's death, and the heat's off of the beta testers and onto the beaters. Nice. Leafa being there means she was the one to mention it's a katana, so they have the perfect excuse for knowledge –** _ **using their eyes**_ **.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

 **October 9th, 2022**

The second Floor was exactly as Kirito remembered it; mostly large, flat plains with tall plateaus. From where he was standing at the exit from the first Floor, he could see most of the northern half of the Floor, and aside from the occasional patch of scraggly green trees, it was the same all the way. To the south, he could see large, jagged mountains lining the horizon, and he knew that beyond those mountains was thick forest - and the Labyrinth.

But, that was for later. Their first priority was getting to the first town before their grace period for beating the boss ended. Kirito turned to look at Asuna and Leafa to let them know they had to leave, and couldn't help but stare. Since they were standing at the top of a plateau, the wind was strong; it kept making his coat flap around his legs. But the wind had such a more pronounced effect on the girls. Asuna's long hair, freed from the red cloak, streamed in the wind like a banner. Leafa, standing next to her, was staring into the distance, the bright sunlight illuminating her face perfectly.

After a second, Kirito realized he was staring and shook his head. "Asuna, Leafa, c'mon," he said. "We have to get to town before mobs start spawning."

Asuna brushed her hair out of her eyes, and Leafa nodded. "Where _is_ the town, anyway?" his little sister asked. Instead of answering out loud, Kirito just pointed downwards, where a slope led down the cliff. "...Oh," she sighed. "Was it too much to hope that it's close?"

Yes. Yes it was, Kirito didn't say out loud.

By the time they made it to the first town, Urbus, even Kirito was starting to get tired. It had been a long day, especially thanks to fighting Illfang and then dealing with that whole beta tester conversation. Kirito wasn't quite sure how to feel about how things had worked out - it exposed Asuna and Leafa to too much danger, in his opinion, though it seemed to work out in the end - but he decided that he could deal with that in the future.

The three of them made their way down the main road of the town. The buildings lining the road were all made of the same brownish-red stone that made up the plateaus all around, and were roughly the same height. Kirito remembered jumping across the rooftops, back in the beta. It had been a good way to move around, at least. For now, though, he stifled the urge to get above everything and stayed on the ground level. Eventually, they walked out into the main square, a pedestal in the center. It was, he knew, the Teleport Gate for Floor 2. As soon as it was activated, everyone else would be notified, and there would be plenty of players streaming in to see.

They stopped right in front of it. "Go ahead, Kazuto," Asuna said. "You beat the boss, so you get to do the honors."

"Sure, sure," he said, reaching out his hand towards the stone. As soon as it touched, the torches on either side of the gate erupted into flame. Kirito stepped away as the writing on the tablet lit up a pale blue. He didn't want to be in the way -

Sure enough, nearly instantly the gate bloomed into light as someone teleported. "Ack! Outta the way, outta the way, outta - Kii-boy!"

"Argo?!" Kirito yelped, startled. The first player out of the gate had emerged at a dead run and nearly plowed into him, before the hooded face of the Rat stared up at him. Immediately Argo darted around his side, hiding behind his back. "What's going on?"

"No time to explain, just hide me!"

Before Kirito could ask the info broker to explain what was going on, the Teleport Gate bloomed into light again. Two more players darted through, bursting onto the second Floor as quickly as Argo had. Kirito's eyes widened as he beheld two... Well, two _ninjas_. They skidded to a halt, their speed more than enough to compensate for their slower reflexes. Kirito recognized the pair of them, somewhat. There was a ninja guild devoted to roleplaying ninjas in the beta; they typically dressed in all-grey cloth equipment, and focused on their AGI stat above all else. They were annoying to hit, and tended to kite enemies into other players on accident, but nothing Kirito couldn't handle.

The ninjas hesitated, before they caught the sight of Argo peeking out over Kirito's shoulder. That seemed to embolden them, and after exchanging a quick glance the one on the left said, "Forgive me, but we have business with the info broker."

"I told ya, I won't sell it!" Argo snapped immediately.

"We have the col to pay for the information," the ninja on the right replied. "And whatever the reason for your refusal, we shall not blame you. We swear it on the honor of our clan."

Save us from ninja roleplayers, Kirito thought. "No means no," Argo retorted. "An' I'm the one that knows where ta find the Martial Arts quest an' what the penalty is, so 'scuse me fer not believin' ya!"

"Forgive our rudeness, but I'm afraid we must insist on buying the information -"

That was as far as the ninja on the left got, hand outstretched as if to grab at Argo's cloak, when his arm was abruptly halted by Kirito's grip on his wrist. "She said she wasn't going to sell the information," he said. "So stop trying to buy it."

The ninja tried to tug away. Kirito had a higher STR stat, so he could have kept his hold, but he decided to let the ninja step back. "Bastard," the one on the right spat. "Who are you?! Do you work for the shogun, Iga dog? We of the Fuma clan-"

"Ah... No," the one on the left said. "Two swords..."

Abruptly, both ninjas bowed, leaving Kirito feeling a bit out of his depth. Behind him, Argo snickered, while Asuna and Leafa watched the whole thing with confused looks. "We humbly beg your forgiveness," the ninjas chorused. "We didn't realize she was under your protection. We apologize."

Then, without another complaint, they turned around and headed back through the Teleport Gate.

"That was... weird," Leafa said slowly.

Asuna added, "I didn't think the news of the boss would have spread _that_ quickly."

If it were possible, Kirito would have sworn he could _feel_ Argo's smug grin transmitted through her hands to his back as she happily wrapped her small arms around his waist. "Nah, nah," the info broker said. "I haven't put out a new edition of my Daily Argo, and I'm the fastest way rumors spread. Nah, this is somethin' Kii-boy did back in the beta."

"I did?"

"Yeah," Argo said. "Remember back on Floor 4, how those Fuma guys got an entire raid party wiped out 'cause they kited the boss?"

"...Vaguely," Kirito replied. He did remember fighting that massive skeleton in the dusty arena, but not particularly anything that the ninjas had done.

Argo shifted against his back, and Kirito sighed as she still didn't let him move. The way they were all standing, she could turn and look at Asuna and Leafa, but he was stuck with his back to all three. "Well, Kii-boy got fed up with their antics, and guess what he did?"

"What?" Asuna asked, almost eagerly.

"Challenged 'em all to a one-on-one duel."

Leafa gasped. "No way! Kazuto did that?"

"Sure did," Argo grinned. "An' he won, too. The ninjas calmed down after that, but guess the lesson stuck, huh?"

 _Now_ Kirito remembered that. "It wasn't all of them, Argo," he said patiently.

"Fine, fine, _most_ of 'em. But ya still won, didn't ya, Kii-boy?" Kirito didn't answer that question. "Thought so. Aaaaanyway," Argo said, drawing the word out playfully, "guess I owe ya another favor for handlin' those two so smoothly. So, I'll answer any one question totally for free, no teasin'. Or ya can bank it if there's nothin' ya want to know."

"Any question?" Kirito asked.

"Nya hah hah! Wanna know my three sizes?" Argo asked playfully. "Ooh! Or maybe what color underwear I'm wearin'? I'd offer ta tell ya A-chan's, but I promised, sorry. Other than that, Big Sister'll answer a~ny question at all."

Kirito chose to ignore the teasing, and the slight aura of menace emanating from two sources directly behind him, in order to consider Argo's offer. He was going to get the most value for this deal, after all, which meant he had to ask the most expensive question he could think about. Which, naturally, involved Argo's personal information. The private info broker would still sell information about herself, it just cost an exorbitant amount. And as such, he knew exactly what he wanted to know. "Tell me the secret behind your whiskers."

Priced at half a million col, the source of the whiskers that Argo wore was a mystery above all others, in Kirito's opinion. Nobody knew for certain why, but she'd just... started wearing them, near the end of the beta test. When he asked her exactly what happened, she fidgeted awkwardly - strange, for the normally self-possessed girl - and then flatly declared the price, an astronomical amount. It was pretty clear to him that she never intended for anyone to buy that particular piece of information. As such, using his free question on it was probably the only way he would ever find out.

Argo stiffened, pressing her face into his back. "Wha... Hey, Kii-boy... No fair asking a maiden to do that." After a second passed, she laughed uneasily. "...Nya hah hah, guess a deal's a deal. Just... gimme a sec ta get my heart ready? Then I'll get the paint off for ya."

Kirito stood still, utterly baffled. Huh? She was going to... remove the whiskers and show him her bare face, something she'd never shown anyone in game at all? All for rescuing her from the ninjas, and asking a question? 'There's no way this didn't have a deeper meaning,' his mind shrieked at him. 'Don't let her do this in front of the girls!' Kirito didn't hesitate to take its advice. "N-Never mind!" he yelped, doing his best to ignore how his voice cracked a little bit. "Um, instead, tell me about the Martial Arts Skill those two were asking about!"

"...Coward..."

After that breathless whisper against his back that Kirito wasn't sure was imagined or not, Argo released his waist and spun around to stand in front of him. "Eh... Well, guess I _did_ promise I'd answer any question, but..." She tugged at one of the locks of hair framing her face, twisting it around her finger. "Ya gotta swear, no matter what happens, ya won't hold this against me. "

Hold it against her? "You said the same thing to those ninjas earlier," Leafa said. "What's so bad about this quest that you need to attach that kind of warning?"

Argo just grinned at them wryly. "Sorry, Leafa, that one'll cost ya if you wanna know."

Kirito hid a sigh. "Fine, Argo. I promise. I swear to God - no, I swear to the system that I won't blame you for whatever happens, no matter what."

The promise was easy to make. He wouldn't dream of blaming her in the first place. Even if the quest turned out deadly, he could handle himself; plus, with Asuna and Leafa by his side, they probably wouldn't be in any danger at all.

Once she'd extracted the promise, Argo nodded and turned, gesturing for the party of three to follow.

* * *

The trip Argo took them on was a route Leafa doubted even Kirito would have found on his own. The info broker blazed a trail up mountains deep in the south, heading up trails that were basically invisible to the swordswoman. She kept stealing glances at her big brother, but he was simply content to follow Argo. The mountain path to wherever she was leading them included a water slide through a cave, something Leafa wasn't too fond of, but at least it didn't end in a deep pool. She might be able to swim, thanks to Asuna's limitless patience in teaching her over the summer, but she still didn't like the memories it brought up.

After exiting that cave, the four of them walked down a dirt path, trees and some bushes on either side. "Careful around here," Argo said idly, walking backwards to face Leafa and the others. "Some higher-level ox mobs spawn on this path. The Trembling Ox is pretty nasty, too. At our level, pro~ob'ly not a huge deal, but -"

"Um, Argo," Leafa said slowly, "this Trembling Ox... Is it about two, two and a half meters tall?"

"Yeah..." Argo studied Leafa, before her face fell. The whiskers drooped as she sighed. "I'd ask how ya knew, but one spawned, didn't it."

It wasn't a question, but Leafa still nodded. "It's in the bushes right behind you."

Argo nodded, and carefully crept forward until she was standing with the others. "Just stay calm," Kirito said as he unsheathed his twin blades. "Once it charges, it's fast, but takes some time to change direction."

"Got it," Leafa and Asuna chorused, preparing to attack. The Trembling Ox let out a snort and swung its head towards the four of them, probably reacting to their weapons being drawn. As soon as it focused on them, though, its red eyes widened and an enraged _mrooooooo!_ burst from its mouth.

"Scatter!" Argo yelped, and the team split apart.

The Trembling Ox pawed at the ground, lowered its head, and charged straight at Asuna. The beautiful girl sidestepped the charge, her red cloak flapping in the wind from the mob's passing. With a shout, she drove her rapier into its side, leaving a long red scratch down its flank. "Aim for the knees!" Kirito called out, his longswords chopping at the mob's right legs. "Asuna, go for the throat, that's the weakpoint!"

"Over here!" Leafa shouted, brandishing her blade. With another wordless cry, she activated one of her battle Skills, Taunt, making her entire body glow a pale yellow. The Trembling Ox snorted as it glared at her, the Taunt doing its job and forcing it to aggro on her -

Until the Trembling Ox turned its head and charged at Asuna again. "Why me?!" the girl yelped, desperately diving away.

"Dunno!" Argo called out as she darted in, slashed at the mob's legs with her claws, and darted out all before the Ox could reorient itself. She was really, really fast, Leafa realized as the Trembling Ox tumbled to the ground, flailing its legs helplessly. "Maybe it likes ya 'cause you're pretty, A-chan!"

"Whatever the reason, the mob's dead," Kirito said as he lunged forward, his glowing sword extending in a thrust that pierced the throat of the monster. As it exploded into blue polygons, he straightened up and sheathed his swords with a flourish. "Let's keep going."

"Right, right," Argo said airily, the girl's unflappable nature swiftly returning now that the fight was done. "It shouldn't be too much longer."

Along the way they fought two more battles, though neither was against another Trembling Ox. Eventually, the thin trail through the woods expanded into a huge clearing. Leafa looked around; nestled against the steep edge of a mountain, the clearing was filled with huge, smooth stones that were as tall as she was, and wide enough that the four of them together couldn't make a whole circle around the widest part. Argo led them up to a figure sitting cross-legged on top of one of the rocks.

"Hey, that looks like it," Asuna said, staring up at the NPC. He was skin and bones, with a flowing white beard and ratty robes that looked like they might have been white at one point in their life. The NPC was also completely bald, except for thick bushy eyebrows.

"That's a quest point, definitely," Leafa nodded. He didn't look like how she'd expected - she was kinda expecting some huge, muscled karate master - but a golden exclamation mark hovered over his head.

Argo grinned, nodding. "That's right~. This guy gives the Extra Skill, Martial Arts," she said, gesturing up at him. "Though, that's all I can tell ya. Acceptin' the quest's up ta you."

Kirito hummed thoughtfully. "What kind of Skill _is_ Martial Arts, anyway?"

"It'll let ya attack with yer hands, no weapons, pretty sure," Argo said. "So if ya drop your weapon, or if it gets stolen by some scavenger mobs like those swamp kobolds..." She trailed off, giving Kirito a knowing wink. Leafa wasn't quite sure _why_ he scratched his cheek and turned away.

"Oh, I get it," Leafa said. "That's why they wanted the Skill." Argo tilted her head inquisitively. "Um... Because a lot of times in games, ninjas can use special attacks with their hands, like... chop!" She mimed a swing of her hand, hand flat and palm up. "It'll act as a one-hit kill from behind, right, Kazuto?"

Asuna frowned, cradling her chin with a hand. "Argo, if they needed to buy the location from you, how did they know it existed in the first place?"

"A-chan, asking the interesting questions," Argo said with a quick laugh. "Well, back on the seventh Floor, an NPC talked about how there's a 'Martial Arts master down on the second Floor'. They prob'ly heard about him from there." As Kirito stepped forward, the info broker called out again, "Remember, you can't hold a grudge!"

"Why are you so worried about that?" Leafa asked Argo. Asuna was staring at Kirito and the old man intently as they spoke. "I mean, Kazuto said you've gotten people mad at you before for selling their info."

"Eh, grudges like those die out quick," Argo said airily, before her lithe frame shivered. She hugged her cloak tighter around her body. "This one can last a lifetime, though..."

Asuna looked around as Kirito accepted the quest. "So, what do you have to do, exactly?"

Argo grinned as Kirito turned to join them. "Nothin' much," she said, rapping her knuckles against the nearest rock. "Just gotta break this thing with yer bare hands."

"Wait," Kirito said, staring at the rock. "That thing... It's gotta be just barely below an Indestructible Object." One of the things he'd taught Leafa and the others was that you could roughly tell the durability of objects by the appearance. The rocks... Her brother was right, she realized. They looked incredibly hard. And they had to do this by _hand_?

Asuna stared thoughtfully at the rock before nodding once and approaching the old man NPC. "Asuna?" Leafa asked carefully.

"If Kazuto is going to do it, then so will I," Asuna declared. Argo just shook her head in resignation and let out a quiet sigh, grinning a little.

After Asuna accepted the quest, the old man hopped down off of the boulder. "Fwo fwo fwo!" he laughed. "Until you can complete my trial," he said, "you may not use your weapons." He blurred forward, almost appearing in front of Leafa. In his hands were Asuna's rapier and Kirito's twin swords. "You must attempt this trial bare-handed. Use your hands, your feet, even your head if you must," he told them, tapping his bald head. It gleamed in the light. "Fwo fwo fwo!"

"H-Hey, wait," Kirito said uneasily. Her big brother took a step away from the rock. "This thing is -"

"Additionally, until you split this boulder, you may not descend the mountain. So, you must bear the sign of your trial." As the master reached into his robe pockets, Leafa had a sudden premonition. Before she could move or say a word, though, the NPC's hand lashed out at frightening speed, so fast that even she couldn't follow the motion.

At that moment, she realized exactly where Argo's whiskers had come from. She had found the quest in the beta, accepted, and then been unable to break the stone - leaving three thick whiskers on each cheek.

She stared at Asuna and Kirito. Next to her, Argo sighed again, empathy, bone-deep depression, and hysterical laughter warring for dominance in her expression. Kirito pawed at his face, but it didn't help in the slightest; the ink had dried immediately.

"I have faith in your potential. Fwo fwo fwo!" the old man cackled, before jumping up and landing on the rock they'd found him on.

Kirito and Asuna stared at each other silently. Finally, Kirito sighed and looked at Argo. "You gave up on this quest," he said. "And so you played to the end of the beta with the whiskers. That's what made people call you The Rat."

Argo clapped. "Good job, Kii-boy," she snickered. "Aren't you lucky! The reason for my whiskers _and_ the details of the Extra Skill all in one!"

Kirito just sighed. "Of course." Then he turned to Asuna. "At least your whiskers look cute," he grumbled. "Are mine..."

Asuna's lips twitched before she gave him a weak grin. "...I liked that cartoon as a kid?"

Kirito's shoulders fell. Leafa didn't have the heart to tell him that she liked Doraemon too, especially since Argo had given up on trying to hold back her laughter and was literally rolling on the ground, cackling.

...

Leafa grumbled under her breath, wandering on the dirt path near the entrance to the training grounds. It'd been two days, and both Asuna and Kirito hadn't thought of giving up. Each morning, it was the same routine; the two of them would wake up, Kirito would try to get right to punching, Asuna would scold him for not warming up and stretching first... And without fail, Argo would drop by after an hour or two and spend the day chatting with everyone.

Not that she didn't like spending time with Asuna or Argo. And she knew all about the focus needed to practice day in and day out like the two of them were doing. She was actually really impressed by how dedicated Kirito was, focusing on the rock. Watching him punch the rock over and over again, never complaining, brought a smile to her face.

But she still wanted Kirito to pay attention to _her_! "Stupid Kazuto," she mumbled. "Stupid quest, stupid game." With a huff, she kicked a pebble, sending it flying into the bushes.

An angry squeal answered. "...Uh oh," Leafa said slowly, backing away as an incredibly angry Trembling Ox stormed out of the bushes. She quickly judged her options. The mob was, according to Argo, as tough as a miniboss, and had been spawning a lot more frequently the last few days. "Uh... Sorry?" she tried.

The Trembling Ox pawed at the ground and lowered its head. Leafa wasn't surprised. At this point, she only had two options - fight the mob on her own, or run for it and try to get to the others. She was _pretty_ sure she could win the fight, but on the other hand...

"Kazutoooo!" she shouted, turning and running. "Asunaaaa! Argooooo!"

She didn't feel bad about this in the _slightest_. Plus, she was pretty sure the others would appreciate the break from punching a rock repeatedly.

As she ran through the field of boulders, the Trembling Ox hot on her heels, Argo turned around first. It was almost hilarious to see the composed info broker's eyes bug out with shock. "Leafa?!" the Rat yelped.

Kirito and Asuna turned around after that, shouting in surprise. She ran past them, dodging at the last second. The Trembling Ox skidded past her, unable to stop its charge right away. "Help!" Leafa gasped, standing up next to Asuna.

Suddenly, it occurred to her that Kirito and Asuna couldn't use weapons. She... might not have thought this plan through very well. When the Trembling Ox turned around, pawing at the ground again, she drew her sword and -

The Trembling Ox snorted and let out an infuriated _mroooo!_ before lowering its head and charging straight at Asuna. "Agaaaain!" the girl wailed as she ran, the mob hot on her heels.

"Sorry, A-chan!" Argo called out as the other three regrouped.

"There's gotta be a reason it keeps targeting Asuna," Leafa muttered.

"Maybe it's her feminine pheromones," Argo suggested lightly.

"Are you kidding me?!" Asuna shouted, before diving out of the way as the Trembling Ox mooed and poured on just enough speed to lunge from her. As it passed through her flapping cloak, the expression on her face changed, and she smirked. "Oh?"

Leafa gasped as she stopped and turned, holding her cape out. "Oh! Like a bull!" Argo exclaimed, grinning. "Good thinking, A-chan!"

"She can't be serious. Asuna!" Leafa exclaimed.

The girl held up her cloak, waving it in front of the bull like a red flag. "C'mon," she said, "right at the target."

Leafa whirled on Kirito, but he was watching Asuna and the Ox intently. After a second, she forced herself to relax and stand down. She was pretty sure that Kirito would be the first to jump in and help if he thought Asuna would get herself hurt. So, since he was standing off to the side instead of throwing himself at the Ox, he thought she could handle it.

With a calculated smirk, Asuna waited for the Trembling Ox to charge straight at her, an instant before she whipped the cloak away. The bull, unable to stop, thundered past her - straight into the rock the hermit was sitting on.

"Ho ho ho!" the hermit laughed as the rock underneath him cracked and splintered from the force of the Ox's ramming attack.

"Use yer head... Thatta-girl, A-chan!" Argo cheered. She had realized that the hermit's introduction to the quest, as well as the increased spawn rate of Trembling Ox mobs, had been a hint to the easy solution.

Asuna smirked victoriously. Then, effortlessly, she lured the Ox into charging at the same rock two more times. It splintered, falling apart into two pieces, and Asuna raised her hands triumphantly as the Trembling Ox staggered away drunkenly. Kirito borrowed the cape from Asuna and easily did the same thing.

While the two of them wiped their faces off, Argo hurried up to the hermit and quickly accepted the quest herself. "Hey, A-chan, lemme borrow that cloak of yers really quick," she said, turning to Asuna.

"Sure, Argo," Asuna said. Of course, just as she handed the red cape over to the info broker, the Trembling Ox collapsed and shattered into blue polygons.

"I'll go find another one," Leafa said, patting Argo's shoulder in sympathy as the older girl's expression morphed into one filled with dismay and utter, complete shock. "Just wait right..."

She trailed off, staring at the hermit's rock. Argo glanced at her. "Eh? Leafa? Whatcha lookin' at?" The info broker tilted her head and stared at the rock herself. Then, abruptly, her entire body went stiff; Leafa had the strangest feeling that if Argo had cat ears, they would be pointing straight up in interest. "Eeeeh?!"

"What?" Asuna asked, hurrying over with Kirito by her side. "What's wrong?"

"Look!" Argo exclaimed, pointing at the hole. "There's a hole here!"

The four of them went down to explore the cave (after Leafa lured another Trembling Ox to the field and Argo finished her quest, unlocking Martial Arts for herself as well, of course) and found a strange painting that none of them really understood. There were two bulky minotaurs - "Tauruses," Kirito and Asuna chorused the correction simultaneously before sharing a laugh, not that Leafa or Asuna really understood the joke - standing on either side of a lanky minotaur with a crown. Below that, a man figure was throwing a circle at the lanky minotaur's crown.

"Weird," was Argo's apt summation. "But info's info. Knew stickin' with ya was a good idea."

* * *

 **October 15th, 2022**

Silica took a deep breath, screwed up her courage, and told herself to take that first step into the dungeon. She _had_ to be brave and do this. She'd been practicing really hard this last week, ever since she heard the news that the first boss had been beaten. The player who'd beaten the boss was none other than the nice beta tester who came to supervise her and the other kids from the orphanage on the weekends, Kirito!

That was why Silica was out here, on the second Floor, standing in front of a dungeon. She was getting better with her sword and shield, so she could probably handle this much, she figured. And what better way to help Kirito out? She would prove she could handle herself and then maybe he'd let her join his party! That would be great, Silica sighed happily, briefly entertaining a daydream.

'Mister Kirito!' she'd shout, jumping in the way of a devastating blow and blocking it effortlessly with her cool shield, not even flinching at all. 'Are you alright?'

'I'm fine, Silica,' he'd reply, standing up and raising his swords. 'Since you're here with me. I'm glad you were able to get strong and fight with me.' His wonderful black eyes shined with emotion as he -

"Kyaa!" Silica squealed, shaking her head to fight off the fierce blush. "No! I have to beat this dungeon first, then I can go ask him." She'd sneaked out of the orphanage without Sasha realizing for this exact reason, naturally. She _had_ left a note explaining where she was going, of course; she didn't want the kind university student to worry or anything like that.

Finally, Silica took a step into the dungeon. She had her sword and shield out at the ready, exactly like Kirito had told her. This was the best way for her to pay him back for all the time and effort he spent teaching them all, she thought, and started working on her very first dungeon dive ever. It was scary, and she had to stop herself from turning around and running out of the entrance to the cave, but according to the rumors she'd read in the Daily Argo newspaper, the monsters in this dungeon dropped rare ores that could be used to make a strong weapon.

So, Silica was going to collect a whole bunch of that ore and give it to him as a thank-you gift.

She wandered through the cave, exploring what she could while trying to remember the way back to the entrance. The grinding of rocks nearby caught her attention and she raised her shield, trying hard to stop her weapons from shaking from nerves. So what if it was a monster trying to kill her? She could handle it! Kirito had taught her well, and she wasn't going to let him down!

She peeked around the corner and saw the source of the grinding noise - a moving humanoid-shaped pile of rocks. It was a Taurus Golem, complete with sharp black-colored rocks forming horns. Silica gulped nervously before taking a deep breath and jumping out. The Taurus Golem turned its head, rocks grinding, as she charged the enemy. With a war cry that would probably make kittens across the world proud, Silica swung her sword.

It _clanged_ off of the rock body of the mob, and the Taurus Golem's health ticked down by a sliver. Silica froze, staring at the mob, and realized she was in _a lot of trouble_.

The Taurus Golem stared at her, red eyes glinting, and Silica starting backing away slowly. She giggled uneasily and glanced behind her, trying to make sure she didn't trip and fall. As she took her next step, a pebble by her foot rolled, clinking against the wall, and the Taurus Golem _roared_ in a groaning, grinding rumble of stone against stone. Silica screamed as it charged her, and she turned tail and ran, heedless of anything other than escaping.

Grinding and scraping behind her told Silica that the Taurus Golem was following her. She panicked and took the next turn down the cave tunnels, not even thinking about whether it was the way out or not. Turn after turn she ran, just trying to get away from the Taurus Golem that was thundering after her.

Eventually she burst into a large cave, and realized that she was completely and hopelessly lost. Silica knew she'd never been here before - especially since there were more Taurus Golems guarding the only exit to this part of the cave. She tried to turn around, but the first Taurus Golem had caught up to her, blocking the entrance with two other Taurus Golems that had joined the chase at some point.

Silica whimpered as the six mobs closed around her, grinding and groaning. She'd screwed up. Kirito had warned everyone not to overestimate their strength, and what had she gone and done? Exactly that. Kirito would be so disappointed in her...

"Heeey! Get away from her!"

The loud shout echoed across the cave walls as a loud _crunch_ filled the air. One of the Taurus Golems was suddenly flung to the side by the head of a glowing mace slamming into its side, knocking it into the mob standing next to it. The owner of the mace rushed forward, short brown hair bouncing with each step. "Hey!" the girl said, leaning over Silica. "You okay?"

"I-I-I'm not hurt," she said, staring up at the girl's brown eyes. She had freckles dusting her cheeks, Silica noted absently. It was a strange thing to focus on, but the mind does strange things in stressful situations.

The girl grinned. "Good. I'll handle these guys and then we can get outta here. Hya!" She swung her mace again, smashing it down on a Taurus Golem's head as it charged them. The heavy blow cracked the rock, dealing a critical hit and killing it in one shot.

She made similarly easy work of the others. "Wow," Silica breathed. "You're really strong..."

"Nah, my mace just does extra damage to them," she replied. "Blunt damage, y'know? So, can you walk?"

...

"Thank you again, Miss Lisbeth," Silica said as she sat at a cafe table, sipping at hot chocolate. Lisbeth had been kind enough to help her out of the dungeon and back to town, and then even bought her something warm to drink. Talking to the girl was like talking to the easygoing older sister she'd never had.

Lisbeth grinned easily. "I keep telling you, just Liz is fine. Don't need to be formal with me!"

Silica smiled. "I'll try, Liz."

"So, how come you were in the dungeon in the first place?" Lisbeth asked her. "I mean, no offense, but your gear's nowhere near good enough. You'd need... Hm, I'd say a complete upgrade to all of your armor, and at least a better sword if you wanted to fight them."

Silica blinked. "Wow, you know a lot about armor. Is that why my sword just bounced off?"

"Yeah," Lisbeth shrugged. "And of course I know. I'm in training to be the game's first player blacksmith, after all," she bragged, raising a fist and flexing her bicep. Silica gasped in awe, applauding. "Seriously, you don't look high enough level to be in there, though."

Silica looked down at her mug of hot chocolate, her twintails drooping. "I wanted to get a gift for Mister Kirito, since he's always coming down to the Town of Beginnings to help us learn how to fight, but... I screwed up."

"Mister Kirito?" Lisbeth echoed. "Hey, isn't he that guy who -"

"Silica!"

Silica whirled around so fast her twintails bounced, nearly hitting her in the face. Wh-wh-wh-what was Kirito doing here? she wondered wildly as the black-clad swordsman hurried towards her. "Mister Kirito?"

"Where have you been?" he asked, stopping in front of her and letting out a sigh of barely-hidden relief. "Sasha sent me a message asking me to look for you. She said you ran off or something."

"I didn't mean to worry anyone," she muttered, looking down. "I just wanted to... I wanted to get some of that rare ore so you can have a nice weapon!" she blurted out.

After a second, a gentle hand rested on her head, and she looked up. Kirito was smiling at her kindly. "Thanks for thinking of me, Silica," he said. "But you shouldn't put yourself in danger like that, okay? The dungeon's really dangerous, and it's dangerous to go in there alone." He glanced over her head at Lisbeth, who had been watching everything. "Guess I have you to thank for looking out for Silica."

Lisbeth laughed. "No problem, no problem," she said. "I was in there looking for ore myself, and helped her out of a tough spot. My name's Lisbeth, but Liz is fine."

"Thanks, Liz," Kirito said warmly. "I'm glad you were there. My name's -"

"Kirito, right?"

"You know who I am?"

Lisbeth laughed, grinning. "Of course I do," she said, waving a hand. "Everyone knows about the beautiful Princesses of the front lines, and their pretty-boy Black Knight. You guys are famous." Suddenly, her grin turned a little sly and knowing. "Hey, any truth to the rumors about you _dating_ them?"

"Wha?!" Kirito squawked. Silica's eyes went so wide she was worried they'd pop out. "Rumors?"

"Yeah, you know," Lisbeth continued, "how you disappeared with them right after beating the boss, only appearing after three days? Eh? Eh?"

"That's not true at all," Kirito said. Silica's heart restarted at the denial. "We were just working on a sidequest with Argo."

Lisbeth made a knowing 'mm- _hmm_ ' sound as she smirked. "Suuuuure. Playboy, leading on two pretty girls like that... And what about the info broker girl? Secret midnight trysts, eh?"

"So! Why were you looking for the ore yourself, Liz?" Kirito asked, clearly desperate to change the topic.

Lisbeth shrugged. "I may not look like it," she said, "but I'm working hard to be a blacksmith! I'm getting pretty good, too," she added.

"Really?" Kirito asked. "That's amazing! We'll be glad to hear that. Oh, hey, do you think you could upgrade my party's weapons? The boss fight is coming up soon, so we're preparing."

Lisbeth's smile turned a little brittle. "Sure," she said, laughing a little bit. It sounded strained. "I'll give it my best shot..."

"Great!" Kirito, if he'd noticed, didn't say anything. "I'll send a message to the girls and let them know where I am. Think you can do it right now?"

"Now?" Lisbeth's eyes darted around and she swallowed before nodding. "Yeah, okay... I'll set everything up."

She led them over to an alleyway in the town before sitting down on the ground, unrolling a Vendor's Carpet. On top, she set down a small anvil and forge. After staring at it for a second, she turned on the forge and watched the red glow brighten as it heated. Silica watched the whole process with curiosity. Kirito approached the brown-haired blacksmith after a few minutes. "They'll be here in a few minutes," he said. "In the meantime, do you want to get started on my swords?"

Lisbeth's tongue flicked out, running over her lips, and she nodded, holding her hand out. "Give 'em here," she said briskly. "What do you want?"

"Sharpness and Durability on both," Kirito said. "They should have the upgrades remaining, right? And, I have the materials needed."

"Two each, then?" Lisbeth nodded and examined the swords. After a second, she choked and nearly dropped the swords. "H-Hey! They're already +6!"

Kirito nodded. "They're Anneal Blades, so they'll go to +8. Don't worry," he said when Lisbeth started to protest. "I think you can do it, Liz."

Lisbeth stared at him, then muttered under her breath, "You shouldn't say things like that... I might get the wrong idea..." Kirito and Silica weren't able to hear the whispered words, however. In the end, there was nothing she could do but accept the blades and materials and get to work.

Silica watched the blacksmith started bringing her hammer down on the first of the swords. One, two, three... She counted along in her head, and on the tenth hit the blade glowed brightly. Kirito just watched with a smile on his face as the white light faded away, leaving the blade on the anvil. Silica gasped; it was almost like the shine of the blade had become deeper, somehow. "I did it!" Lisbeth cheered, grinning at the sword.

"See?" Kirito said. The blacksmith girl jumped and looked up almost sheepishly. "I knew you could do it."

"Yeah!" Lisbeth said, grinning at him brightly. "Okay! Just gotta do it a few more times."

Silica was going to watch her enhance the blade again when she saw a group of players turn down the alley and start approaching them. "Hey, Kii-boy," the shortest one called out, waving. Silica realized abruptly that these were Kirito's friends and party members; Asuna, the one wearing the red cloak, and the black-haired Leafa. She wasn't sure who the girl with whiskers was, though. "So this's where ya disappeared to."

Kirito waved as he accepted one of the Anneal Blades back, re-equipping it. It had been upgraded successfully as well. As Lisbeth started pounding on the second sword, he said, "Sorry to run off so quickly. I didn't mean to worry you."

"Is Silica alright?" Asuna asked. Silica blushed, a little embarrassed that she'd caused these high-level players worry.

"I'm fine," she said, speaking up.

She didn't expect Asuna to stop and stare at her, before letting out a little squeal. "Ah, you're adorable!" _Everyone_ stared at the long-haired girl. After a second, she cleared her throat. "I... I mean, that's good that you're not hurt. You shouldn't run off like that, though."

She hung her head, and Leafa said, "Don't lecture her, Asuna."

"I'm not lecturing!"

"You _always_ lecture whenever Kazuto or I screw up, you know you do."

"I do not! Sugu, don't say things like that!"

"See, you're doing it now!"

Argo laughed as the two other girls started bickering and ambled over to inspect Lisbeth's work. "Pretty good," the info broker said. "Lisbeth, right?"

"Um... Yeah," the blacksmith said, hesitating before starting work on the last upgrade of Kirito's second weapon. "You're Argo, right?"

"Got it in one~," the info broker said with a sing-song tone. She glanced at Lisbeth, eyes appraising her, and then grinned wider. "Get ready for a long day, Liz. A-chan's got a few upgrades she wants done, and so does Leafa."

As Lisbeth blanched, Silica screwed up her courage and reached out to - No, she was _not_ going to tug on Kirito's coat, she told herself, and pulled her hand back. She saw Argo grin slyly and pretended that the info broker _wasn't_ grinning because she'd seen what Silica was about to do. "Excuse me, Kirito?"

"Hm? Something wrong, Silica?"

She took a deep breath. "Can... Can I joinyourpartyandfightwithyou?!" She got the words out in a hurry and squeezed her eyes shut.

After a few seconds, she heard Kirito say, "Silica, can you look at me?" She opened her eyes cautiously and met Kirito's kind grey eyes; he'd crouched in front of her. "Right now," he said, "we're about to go fight the Floor Boss. It's incredibly dangerous, and we can't put you at risk."

"So... you're saying -"

Kirito shook his head, cutting her off. "How about this. After we beat the boss, why don't you come explore the third Floor with us? It's a little less dangerous at the beginning, so I think that four of us can stay safe."

"Five," Argo called out.

Kirito glanced at her in surprise, before smiling faintly. "Sorry. Five, then. Does that sound like a plan?"

Silica blinked, and then nodded rapidly. "Yeah! I'll be waiting, so you'd better beat that boss soon!"

* * *

"What was that look you gave Liz, Argo?" Kirito asked.

Argo grinned. She knew he was going to ask the instant he looked at her; at least he'd waited until they went back to their inn room on the second Floor. "It'll cost ya 100 col, Kii-boy." As soon as the words left her lips the boy flipped her a shining coin. She caught it and made it dance across her fingers before stashing it in her pockets safely. "Thankies! So, Liz back there? She's... got some rumors about her. Such as, well, a couple players went to get their weapons upgraded from the first player blacksmith, some cute gal in the Town of Beginnings. After their first upgrade failed, sounds like they got upset and made her try again and again without tryin' ta up the chances of success."

"So they gambled and lost," Kirito said. "And I'm guessing that they blamed her for it, claiming she's bad luck or something."

"Bin~go," Argo sang. "Nailed it in one. Yep, the suckers started blaming poor Liz and people listened. We were prob'ly the first people to get upgrades from her for a while now. Ya know how rumors get, don'tcha?"

"Which reminds me, there have been rumors about all of us..."

"Nya hah hah! Shouldn't ya be flattered?" Argo grinned.

Kirito sighed. "Just stop the rumors please..."

Argo waved her hand in a pawing motion. "I'll get around to it, don't worry, Kii-boy." Somehow, the look on his face told her that he was skeptical of her motivations. Which was fair. She _liked_ the rumor about herself, at least. It was kinda flattering, in a way. She had _fans_! Argo giggled to herself quietly. It was weird that they'd managed to watch her go out and meet with Kirito in the middle of the night, but hey, that was the price of being a famous info broker. "Seriously, have I let you down yet?"

"Let me just count all the times in the beta," he said in a deadpan. Argo stuck her tongue out at him.

"Hey, you two," Asuna said, turning back to the squabbling pair. "It's time to head into the Labyrinth. Are you ready?"

"Ready!" they said, both confident. They were in the beta together, after all, Argo knew. There was no way this boss was going to stop them!

...

At the entrance to the boss door, Argo sighed as she listened to the two proto-guilds argue. Lind and Kibaou had, apparently, arrived at roughly the same time, so they were both shouting that they should be the ones to take command of the fight. The argument was just going around in circles, and eventually Kirito - whose party had been the last to arrive and as such out of the running - cleared his throat. "Are we going to argue all day, or are we going to fight the boss?" he asked when Lind and Kibaou turned to glare at him.

Eventually, the spiky-haired man scratched his head and grunted. "Fine, whatever," he spat. "Ya blue-haired bastard."

"Brute," Lind growled. Then, he took a dramatic stance and waved his hand in the air, trying to catch everyone's attention. "Ahem! I am Lind of the Dragon Knights guild! As representative of the first group to reach the boss door, I'll be in command for this fight. Now, teams A through D, we'll be fighting the main boss, General Baran. Team E, you're in charge of taking out the other mob."

"Mob, he says," Argo snorted.

Kirito blanched and exclaimed, "Nato?! He's as tough as a midboss. And we have to take him out?" He sighed after a second. "Well, there _are_ four of us, so I think it'll be fine." Asuna and Leafa looked at each other and nodded firmly, grinning.

Lind kept talking a little bit more, giving the first four parties more instruction. Argo didn't miss how they were all made up of Lind and Kibaou's followers. It made sense he would just leave Nato to them, then, since the four of them were clearly talented. Plus, she alone was the only 'unproven' member of the boss fight, and most people tacitly assumed that Argo was a beta tester thanks to the information she put out in her guide.

"Alright, everyone's been assigned," Lind said, turning back to face the boss door. Argo noted absently that the door wasn't changed in the slightest from the one in the beta; quite the trap, huh. "And so we go forth to -"

"Hold up!" Argo called out, making the blue-haired man stumble a little bit. Stifling a snicker, she pushed her way through the crowd of players. "'Scuse me, comin' through, info broker, outta my way, don't step on my cloak please." After standing at the front of the crowd, she cleared her throat. "Sorry, but figured I should let ya all know a lil' somethin'."

"And what's that?" Lind asked, staring at her dubiously.

"Oh, nothin' special, just that there's prob'ly gonna be another boss in there after we take down Baran and Nato."

 _That_ little announcement sent whispers through the crowd, but Argo didn't turn to look. To his credit, Lind mostly kept his composure, except for going a little pale. "Whaddaya talkin' about?" Kibaou growled, stepping forward. "You're that info broker, right? The Rat that puts out all those guidebooks."

"You're flatterin' me, stop it," Argo grinned, then continued brightly, "but yep, that's me! Aaaanyway, a beta tester's party found a clue to the floor Boss. Problem is, it's not the same boss as Baran and Nato. After I looked into things, I'm pretty sure that the _real_ boss is gonna show up after the pair of beef steaks-to-be in there are dealt with." Lind studied her, and then nodded. Kibaou grunted and crossed his arms, but didn't say anything. She was _pre~etty_ sure they knew that Kirito was the beta tester in question, but she was still glad they didn't ask. "Oh," Argo added, "don't worry 'bout my fee. That's been taken care of, lucky you!" Thanks, Kii-boy, she added privately, remembering the single col he paid her that morning.

Lind nodded. "Thank you for letting us know. If that's everything..."

"Sure is!" Argo chirped, before heading back to join the others. Kirito lifted his hand in a fist, and Argo knocked her knuckles against his. Exactly like they'd do in the beta, before heading off to a hard fight.

This was going to be... interesting.

...

Kirito and Leafa, the two 'strongest' fighters, would be engaging from the front, keeping Nato's attention entirely on them through Kirito's high damage and Leafa's Skills. Meanwhile, Asuna and Argo, more mobile builds, would be flanking and striking from the sides and back whenever an opening presented itself. The plan for fighting Nato was simple, but it worked well.

On the other hand... Argo spared a second to glance at the other fight and rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "Idiots," she muttered. Lind and Kibaou were doing more harm to their players than the taurus boss, with how poorly they were working together. Tanks were behind the DPS, nobody was rotating properly... At least there hadn't been any casualties, so it wasn't like this was unsalvageable. "Kii-boy, how much longer for Nato?"

"Probably - hah! - about two minutes. Leafa, switch!" Kirito slashed at Nato's arms and left a long red mark before jumping back, Leafa sliding in smoothly to take his place. Kirito pulled out a potion and started drinking it down while Asuna and Leafa kept Nato busy. "How are they doing?"

Argo made an 'Eh...' noise and wiggled her hand neutrally. "Nobody's died yet, but I'm worried they're not talkin' ta each other. Makes me worried someone's gonna drop the boss before -"

"Red health!" the shout erupted from behind them, neatly cutting Argo off.

"...Before we finish killin' Nato," she finished her sentence belatedly. Then she sighed and slapped at her forehead. "Those _idiots_."

"No! It's too soon!" Kirito exclaimed, whirling around to stare. General Baran's final health bar was deep in the red; some overeager axe user from Lind's group had activated a Sword Skill with his party members while a faction from the other party hammered away with Sword Skills of their own, blasting off way too much health at once. "Leafa, Asuna!" he shouted. "You two handle Nato! Argo and I have to go help the others!"

"Eh?!" Asuna exclaimed, whipping around to stare at him. "By ourselves?"

"You'll be fine," Kirito said with a grin. "I trust you!"

With that declaration, Kirito and Argo ran towards the rest of the raid members. Their boots clacked against the stone floor -

A rumbling filled the air, and they skidded to a halt. The center of the floor, something everyone had assumed was just a simple, ornate design, started to shift and rise from the floor. It formed a pedestal, like a performing stage; finally, the very center of the room rose up higher than the rest. Unlike the other parts of the floor, it wasn't empty. "What... the heck..." Kirito mumbled, staring up blankly at the massive form looming over them. Beside him, Argo could only snicker helplessly at the sight.

" **Mooooooooo!** " the tall, almost skeletal form of Asterius The Taurus King sang, pressing one hand to its chest with the other outstretched dramatically. It was black-skinned and lanky, with a short white goatee. Its two horns stuck straight up from its head, shining dully in the light.

"Crap!" Kibaou shouted. "It's the third boss!"

Lind looked around in a clear panic, eyes wide and face pale. The other fighters around him were losing cohesion, starting to run in and swing at the boss randomly instead of in a controlled pattern. From the stories Kirito had told her, Argo figured this was something similar to what happened to the first boss fight - one thing went wrong, and suddenly they all fell apart. Lind, the nominal leader, wasn't doing anything to help, unlike the Diavel he idolized so much.

"Argo, distract the boss!" Kirito, on the other hand, was already barking orders. "I'm going to help defeat Baran and then help out the girls. Think you can handle things?"

"Nya hah hah! Who do ya think yer talkin' too, Kii-boy?" Argo grinned like a cat, twirling a metal ring around one finger. "I got this. Go do yer thing."

With the chakram drop from the Labyrinth midboss and the Martial Arts skill she'd earned from that stupid quest, she could handle herself just fine. She preferred her claws, yeah, but the Throwing Weapon skill was one of her favorites too.

Asterius stepped forward, elegantly moving from its entrance stage, and Argo spun the chakram around her finger before letting it fly. Just as the boss reached the floor, the projectile slammed into the boss's crown. Instantly it was staggered, clutching at its head and mooing in anger. The ring flew through the air in a graceful, gleaming arc, straight back to Argo's hands where she caught it. Hey, she thought, this thing's pretty neat! It was really a shame that using it required two Skills, or she'd probably dabble with a secondary weapon.

"Ah ah ah," she said, clicking her tongue as she noticed the boss starting to recover. "Not happenin'. Yer stayin' right here with me." A flick of her wrist, another _clang_ of metal on metal, and the boss was reeling again. "Heh. This is prob'ly the easiest boss fight I've ever had ta deal with."

It wasn't even hard! She just needed to stand there and throw the chakram as soon as the boss's stagger animation was about to end, so there wasn't any danger at all.

Hey, free col. Argo didn't mind in the slightest.

There was hardly any problems with the fight after Kirito stepped forward and de-facto assumed command. He was able to rally the players fighting Baran, providing the leadership that they latched onto almost instinctively. Once Baran fell, exploding into pixels, Kirito ran by her and crossed to help Asuna and Leafa. The power trio back together, Argo felt something inside her relax. She'd kept an eye out on Asuna and Leafa, and she could _see_ the beautiful long-haired girl's dodges getting closer and closer as time wore on and she couldn't rest, she could _see_ Kirito's pretty sister's sword taking longer to move, getting in position just a hair slower.

Once Kirito rejoined them and the other parties swarmed Asterius, Argo knew the day was won. All she had to do was keep the boss stunlocked until the others were there.

Argo heard a cheer to her right and glanced over to see that Colonel Nato had expanded and burst, shattering into blue polygons. Asuna's rapier was outstretched, the girl frozen in midair for a heartbeat in the position of her killing blow before she dropped to the floor, landing neatly with her cloak fluttering behind her.

Abruptly, a sudden change caught her attention and she was forced to swear under her breath. Despite doing her best, the strategy of 'Stunlock the boss until it dies' - cheap, yeah, but this was life and death so Argo was a _little_ past caring about fairness - was gradually growing less and less effective. This time, it seemed, it wasn't enough; Asterius had managed to recover fast enough that it was attacking before the frontline fighters were able to get close to it.

"Crap!" she swore out loud again once the sight properly registered. "A breath attack! Quick, everyone scatter!"

Asterius leaned back, its jaw opening way wider than it looked like it should be able to, and started sucking in a deep breath. Mist swirled around its open mouth as its cheeks bulged to hold it all in, and Argo winced. The closest thing to magic in these games, she knew the breath attacks had elements to them. This one in particular was the electric-element, which meant that everyone had to be out of the way before the attack came out, or they'd be hit.

Crap! Her mind whirled as she tried to figure out how they were all getting out of this without getting paralyzed, but there wasn't anything she could do. All the information couldn't save them if they were caught off guard.

As Asterius leaned forward to unleash its breath attack, Argo could only hope that a miracle would happen.

And one arrived in the form of a shooting star. Asuna raced across the floor, boots barely touching the ground. Her hood fell back, her long hair spilling out and streaming through the air, and she leapt forward. She pressed on the back of Asterius and used the boss as a spring pad, launching herself in the air. She twisted, angling downwards, and then brought back her rapier and thrust, smashing down into the boss's skull. Its mouth snapped shut and the breath attack backfired, stunning the boss instead of just distracting it this time. "A-chan?!" Argo gasped.

With a flourish, Asuna flipped over and activated Crescent Moon, one of the Martial Arts skills. Her leg shot up in an arc, slamming into the boss's chin and knocking it reeling even further. She landed on the ground in a classic three-point stance before straightening up. Argo heard a few people whispering about the Princess and grinned. She knew that Asuna was embarrassed about that. Plus, the whispers only got louder and more interested when Leafa stood next to Asuna, katana at the ready.

Hmm... Argo wondered idly if she should try to shift the rumors around a bit. Leafa didn't seem to appreciate the princess comments very much. Maybe another knight, like Kirito? Ooh, maybe the Emerald Knight? To go with the Black Knight? Eh, she'd workshop it when she's not in a life-or-death situation.

With both swords in hand, Kirito ran up next to Argo, watching as she switched back to her favorite claws. "Crown's not working anymore, Kii-boy," she reported.

He sighed. "Too much to hope it'd last the entire battle, I guess..."

"We still got plenty 'a use out of it," she mentioned. "Kept the big boy locked down until you guys managed to take out the hamburgers."

"That's true," he said with a smile. "Let's go, Argo! We have a boss to beat!"

"Right with ya, Kii-boy!"

* * *

In the end, they managed to win without a single casualty, though Kirito thought things were close right before he was able to join the main party fighting Baran. He'd even managed to snag the Last Attack Bonus while fighting the larger of the two tauruses. Leafa had claimed Nato's Last Attack Bonus, and Argo had been the one, fittingly enough, to take down Asterius with a really cool claw attack after she'd jumped, landed in his cupped hands, and he'd thrown her higher in the air.

Kirito and Leafa high-fived, and then the girls shared a round of hugs among the three of them. "That was really impressive, Asuna," he said, and the girl smiled at him. Argo cleared her throat, raising an eyebrow expectantly, and he obliged her. "Good job with the boss, Argo."

"Thankies~." Kirito couldn't help but wonder why she seemed so _satisfied_ with the praise. Wasn't the Last Attack Bonus enough for? Then again, he realized, this was Argo. She'd wring as much as she could out of any situation.

He glanced over to the side, where Lind and Kibaou were standing with their party members. The fight had nearly gone south because they panicked, but it was okay in the end, right? He'd managed to get the other players into a unit, somehow, and there hadn't been any losses. Still, it was a little worrying how they didn't have a clear leader. If only Diavel hadn't died, Kirito thought, we wouldn't be in this situation.

Leafa leaned over and poked his shoulder. "Hey, Kazuto," she said, "stop worrying about it. We won, didn't we?"

He stared at her, and then laughed a little. "Yeah, we did," he said. "And you're right, Leafa. I should be celebrating too, huh." He ruffled his little sister's hair playfully, and she complained before ducking away to paw at her bangs and try to fix the damage he'd done. "But we have to open the next Floor before we can relax, so we'd better get going." They were going to go back to town and restock their supplies before heading up to the third Floor, so once again the three of them were going to be in charge of activating the Teleport Gate.

Argo grinned. "So whatcha waitin' for, Kii-boy? Let's go already."

Asuna stared at the slender girl. "Argo, you're coming with us?"

"Nya hah hah. 'Course I am," she replied. "Since I joined up with you, I got Martial Arts _and_ got ta beat a boss. It's like Kii-boy's my good luck charm! I'm gonna get lots 'a new info from hangin' around with you, so why would I leave?"

That was Argo, through and through, Kirito sighed. On the other hand, he definitely enjoyed her company, and it would be nice to have her around, so... Kirito smiled at Argo. The hooded info broker fidgeted a little bit. "Well, I'm glad to have you along," he told her.

The Rat grinned and threw her arms around Kirito's neck, rubbing her cheek up against his. "Lookin' forward to workin' with ya, Kii-boy," she said, almost purring.

* * *

 **Floor 2 done! Somehow, Kirito has saved the idiots from themselves again. I tried switching up the shoulders we were riding, so that it wasn't always Kirito or Asuna. Now that we have six characters, it'll probably be easier, but I really need more practice with Leafa, Silica, and Liz. I just haven't written much from their point of view...**

 **This time, we saw Argo flirt with Kirito some more after he saved her from ninjas. (The ninjas aren't the important part there... :3) We also have the Rat finally getting her Martial Arts skill, so good for her. It meant she got to take the starring role against Asterius.**

 **We also have Silica getting herself in trouble, as well as the introduction to everyone's favorite blacksmith. The main cast is about to fully assemble, so prepare yourselves.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.**

* * *

 **So, since a couple people brought it up, let me go over Kirito's build in a little more detail. Yes, right now, he has two swords equipped. This is a deliberate change I made, mainly because Unique Skills are things that are neat in concept but actually really stupid when game design is brought into the fold. In that light, I made a few changes to how Dual Blades will work:**

 **1\. Anyone can _equip_ two longswords, or two daggers, or whatever. There's a non-negligible penalty to doing this: the damage from each weapon is lowered to 75% of its max (as such, someone attacking with both swords as fast as someone attacking with one sword will do roughly 150% damage, but with timing and all that the math works out pretty well).**

 **2\. Sword Skills can be activated with either weapon, but only one at a time. Skill Chaining doesn't exist either, so it really is a straight 'Use a One-Handed Sword Skill'. Combined with the damage penalty, someone using this style really doesn't do as much damage unless they're fighting carefully and using Sword Skills as supplements instead of the main source.**

 **3\. Dual Blades still exists, just as a very rare Extra Skill branching off of One-Handed Sword Skills (like Katana, branching off of Curve Sword). I'll explain how it's unlocked when it becomes relevant, but it's mostly just time-consuming nonsense that makes it hard to unlock. People will _think_ it's a Unique Skill, since he's the only one that uses it, but technically it's unlockable by anyone that fulfills the requirements.**

 **Essentially, people don't like two sword style because they're bad at SAO and spam Sword Skills, which Dual Blades discourages. Especially now that it's a death game, where having a shield to block an attack might be the difference between life and death.** **Kirito's the only one using this style because he doesn't like using a shield _anyway_ , so why have an empty hand? ****It also helps that as a beta tester he's used to fighting without Sword Skills as his only recourse, so the damage penalty isn't too punishing. He's also got party members to help pick up the slack, so it's all good.**

 **(I also imagine Asuna's an enabler, all 'Oh Kazuto you look so cool with two swords!' while Leafa's off to the side going 'Ack, kendo doesn't apply here, don't scold my idiot brother for leaving openings everywhere! ...He does look cool though...')**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

 **October 16th, 2022**

Kirito stretched luxuriously as he stepped out onto the inn room's balcony. The early morning air smelled crisp and refreshing, and he marveled all over again at the sophistication of the Cardinal engine that ran this world. Here he was, standing halfway up one of the three massive baobab tree that made up the entire town of Zumfut. The entire town was hidden inside the hollowed-out trunks. It was a situation that would never happen in real life, and yet the air, the smooth wooden railing under his fingers, all of it was so life-like.

Everything except the water, that was. But Kirito didn't mind all that much - he knew the girls had different opinions, especially when it came to those baths they loved so much, but to him water was good for drinking and swimming and that was pretty much it.

"Mm... Kazuto, what are you doing up?"

Kirito turned to see Leafa rubbing her eyes sleepily, coming out to join him on the balcony. "Just woke up," he admitted to her, smiling easily as she huddled next to him. It was a little cool, so he welcomed the warmth. "You're up early yourself."

"This is when we normally get up for kendo," Leafa said, yawning. "So my body finally caught up, I guess."

"Heh."

"...Remember how we used to get up on days like this and just sit out on the porch, before Grampa made us go start our lessons?"

Kirito grinned with nostalgia as he stared at the early morning sun. "Yeah... I always liked that, y'know? Getting to spend mornings with you, I mean. That was back when we still shared a room, right?"

"Uh huh. It made it really easy to get up together." Then Leafa made a face up at Kirito. "But your computer made it hard to sleep at night, since it was always making those _whirr_ noises."

He chuckled. "That's just the fan, it doesn't mean anything. So don't go trying to use it as an excuse for not wanting to go to sleep." Leafa just huffed and nudged him with her elbow playfully. The two of them watched the sun slowly creep over the tree line, getting some quality sibling time in together. Kirito enjoyed spending time with every one of the girls, but there was just something about being with Leafa that felt... easier. It made sense, of course, they'd spent a lot of their life together. For as long as he could remember, his little sister had been there.

A yawn caught his attention, and he turned to see Asuna sleepily stumbling her way out to join the siblings. Argo was a little more awake. Both girls were wearing roughly the same type of sleep clothes, a loose tanktop with comfy shorts. "Morning, Asuna, Argo," he said gently.

His best friend didn't take mornings well. He could tell she'd just recently woken up and was still half-asleep, judging by the way that she reached out and latched onto Argo's sleep shirt, grabbing a handful in one hand. "Mmrgh..." she mumbled. "What time is it?"

Argo grinned and patted the sleepy girl's head. "Time ta get up, A-chan," she said. "Gonna say bye ta Kii-boy 'fore he leaves us for the morning?"

"Bye, Kazuto," Asuna mumbled, eyes drooping shut. Her head nodded, and lightly leaned against Argo's.

Kirito could only laugh helplessly. "I'll remind her when she's more awake," Leafa said. "Go get Silica, okay?"

He knew that his two original partners, Leafa and Asuna, were a little ambivalent about the idea of the young sword and shield-user joining them. Leafa more so than Asuna; his sister was decidedly neutral, somewhat suspicious of adding someone so young to the front lines, while Asuna was torn.

On the other hand, he'd seen the determination in Silica's eyes when she asked him to let her join the party. Kirito was pretty sure that even if she was young, she would do her best to catch up and work with them just fine. He wasn't worried.

...

He was a little worried.

"Kirito," Asuna said slowly, "can you explain something for me?"

"Yeah?"

"You went down to the first Floor to pick Silica up from the orphanage, right?" Asuna said, and Kirito nodded. Right so far. "So... how did that turn into you coming back with Silica and _Liz_?"

Lisbeth waved from the bed where she was sitting next to Silica. "Hi."

"Hi Liz!" Argo chirped. "Welcome to the club."

"Club?" she asked.

Argo grinned. "Club of all the gals Kii-boy's aimin' for, obviously."

"Hey," Kirito said with dull resignation. He knew that nothing would stop the irrepressible Rat, but he still had to try. "Don't lie to her, Argo."

"Nya hah hah!"

Asuna tapped her foot. "Kirito, explain?"

Liz snuck a glance at Kirito, raising an eyebrow at Argo's teasing. Silica blushed a little bit, fidgeting. "I promise it's not usually this crazy," Leafa said to the two of them. "Asuna just gets... a little intense sometimes."

"I-It's okay, Miss Leafa," Silica said. "Mister Kirito warned us..."

" _Explain_?" Asuna demanded.

Things were... maybe a little chaotic for a while, but Kirito eventually managed to calm everyone down long enough to explain how one girl turned into two. When he'd arrived at the orphanage to pick Silica up, she wasn't there. When he checked his Friends List to find her, though, she was still in town, so it was easy for him to find her. Kirito had been surprised to find Silica and Lisbeth enjoying some sweets together. It had been so Lisbeth could come see the four players and ask to join their party as well.

Asuna blinked. "Why? Aren't you doing well enough as a blacksmith?"

"Um..." Lisbeth shrugged. "A couple reasons. One, it's easier to collect rare ores if I have someone watching my back, and a party storage to put stuff in. The other... Well, I want to help Kirito out."

"Me?" he asked.

Lisbeth grinned softly. "You were the first person to come get an upgrade from me after... for a while, you know? Because of you, I feel like I can keep chasing after my goals. You made that possible, so I want to help you."

"Well," Argo drawled, "we're already teachin' one newb, so two's not that big a deal, right A-chan?"

Asuna sighed. "Oh, it's fine," she said. "Welcome to the party, Liz, Silica."

The two girls let out a small cheer of happiness. "Okay, so first things first," Kirito said, "we need to figure out where you guys fall on skill. Argo?"

"I gotcha, Kii-boy," the info broker said before turning to the two girls on the bed. "'Kay, so, there's a pretty good quest down on the first Floor to run, it's easy so Kii-boy will be able to watch ya fight a little bit better. Once we're done there an' we get yer gear upgraded a lil' bit, we'll start runnin' through some of the quests on the third Floor, sound good?"

"Of course, Miss Argo!" Silica said immediately. Lisbeth nodded and shrugged easily, showing she was fine with whatever they decided.

Argo blinked, and then grinned. "Miss Argo, heh? That's -"

"You don't need to add Mister or Miss, Silica," Kirito reminded the twin-tailed girl. Beside him, Argo pouted, denied.

"O-oh, right, I forgot," Silica said bashfully.

...

Kirito folded his arms as he watched Silica and Lisbeth fight the pair of wolves that acted as the boss of the quest, the Rocky Wolf Alpha and Rocky Wolf Beta. The Alpha was massive, and the Beta was comically tiny; it was as long as Kirito was tall, while the Alpha towered over every one of them, taller than Asuna standing on Leafa's shoulders. While all six of them were present, the only two fighting were Silica and Lisbeth. Asuna and Leafa were standing by at the edge of the fight, so the two weren't in any danger, but he wanted to see how they fought multiple enemies.

Lisbeth was a traditional mace build, with a small buckler on her off arm for protection; she wore an armored breastplate to keep herself safe, and he was pretty sure that all of her armor, including the greaves and gauntlet, was equipment she made herself. Her blows were pretty powerful, but Kirito noticed that she tended to overcommit to certain attacks and lose her balance from time to time. She also used Sword Skills a little too much, even when it was overkill against an enemy. "Hey, get back here!" Lisbeth shouted as the wolf she was trying to hit with a Sword Skill jumped away, howling and lunging at Silica.

And the younger girl... Kirito felt a smile tugging at his lips as the young girl screamed in fear and ran in circles, desperately trying to stay ahead of the wolves snapping at her heels. "What did I do what did I do what did I doooooo?!" she exclaimed, apparently completely forgetting about her large shield. When Silica wasn't running from the enemy in panic, she did well, but Kirito knew she tended to flinch right when the enemy attacked her, hiding behind the shield instead of using it to block properly.

"How're they doin'?"

Argo's cheerful voice broke through his thoughts and he looked over to see the hooded info broker standing next to him. "Pretty good, all things considered," he replied, watching the girls. "There's a few coordination problems, but those will work themselves out with practice." He knew how hard it was to play with a pick-up group, even in a regular MMO. Silica had only been fighting with them for a few hours, so it was understandable.

"Mmm... I'm a lil' worried how the chibi over there isn't usin' her shield," Argo noted. Her eyes were focused and intent, despite her easygoing stance. "'S the whole point of usin' one."

"She's young," Kirito reminded her. Argo flapped a hand at him in feigned irritation. "She also doesn't have the same amount of experience as we do, or even Liz. She'll learn."

Argo shrugged elaborately. "Sure thing, Kii-boy. Jus' sayin'."

He knew that his friend from the beta test didn't _mean_ to sound as harsh as she did. It was just that she tended to be... a little mercenary, and that kinda extended to dealing with people. "Silica!" he called out. "Use your shield, the wolves can't knock it away without standing still for a second!"

"O-Okay!" Silica shouted back. She visibly took a deep breath before turning around and thrusting her shield forward. The picture was spoiled a little by the way she flinched and closed her eyes, but progress was progress, Kirito figured.

The shield crashed against the Rocky Wolf Alpha's claw swipe and the red wolf bounced off, tumbling onto its side. Lisbeth didn't miss the opening given by the mob flailing wildly, tail whipping around, and she planted her feet right over its head before rearing back and slamming her mace down.

Glowing a pale purple, the mace smashed down and shattered the Rocky Wolf Alpha into tiny polygons. Lisbeth grinned victoriously - and completely failed to notice the Rocky Wolf Beta jumping up on a nearby tree before pushing off, wicked claws slashing through the air. "Liz!" Silica cried, stumbling forward and putting herself between Lisbeth and the wolf, bringing her shield up.

She managed to get in the way of the attack, but Kirito winced. It was the wrong call, as right as it seemed as the time. The Beta slashed at the shield, and the attack was blocked. However, the Rocky Wolves had a special technique that applied when they jumped at a player like this one had; the slash knocked Silica's shield to the side and the Beta bounced back like it was a blue hedgehog and the shield had been a bouncy spring. Skidding on the dirt ground, it gnashed its teeth and pounced at Silica, who was still recovering from the guard break.

Kirito began to unsheathe his sword and step forward, but before he could -

"Silica!" Asuna's rapier drove into the Rocky Wolf Beta's side, knocking it out of its attack and sending the tiny wolf sprawling. She'd used her Linear to drive forward and cross the distance almost immediately.

"Asuna," Silica gasped, her sword shaking. Still, despite the fear - or maybe it was the adrenaline of battle making her shake, Kirito wasn't sure - she let out an adorable war cry and slashed at the prone Rocky Wolf Beta. The damage from her Sword Skill, combined with the length of the fight, was enough to kill the Rocky Wolf Beta. Once Silica realized this, she let out a cheer of accomplishment. "I did it! Liz, we did it!"

"Yay!" Lisbeth cheered, raising a fist in the air in triumph.

As Lisbeth hung her mace back on her hip, Silica looked towards Kirito. "Where are we going next?" she asked eagerly.

Well, she recovered from that scare fast, he thought. Still, he grinned at the girl. "A few more dungeons on this Floor," he told her. "They're not long, don't worry," he added when Lisbeth groaned out loud. "And we'll all help this time."

"Thanks," Lisbeth muttered flatly. "That'll help a lot."

Leafa smiled. "Don't worry, you were doing great!"

Lisbeth's lips twisted in a small frown. "Yeah, until I got myself stuck in place and wide open. And with that jump move, I wouldn't have been safe even if I got my buckler up in time."

"Ah, don't beat yerself up," Argo said, grinning up at Lisbeth. The blacksmith jumped a little bit at the info broker's sudden appearance, and Kirito understood her surprise. Argo had a habit of walking on cat's paws, and could easily sneak up on a player if they weren't paying attention. Not that he's gotten surprised by her a million times back in the beta, or caught her eavesdropping on him just a few seconds too late, no. That would be _ridiculous_. "We all gotta start somewhere, right? An' fer a newbie, you're improvin' pretty fast, Liz."

Asuna laughed. "She's right. Both of you are getting a lot better."

Once Lisbeth's frown turned into a smile, Kirito stepped forward. "Alright, let's get the loot and turn in the quest, and then we can find a good place to practice teamwork." This was also a good way to power-level Silica, running her through the best quests experience-wise. Just by doing a few dungeons, she'd already gone up two levels; soon, she would be on par with Lisbeth at least, and the two of them were only a few levels below the other four.

"Okay!" Silica said, smiling up at Kirito. Lisbeth nodded, brushing her short hair out of her face before giving him a tired smile. Asuna and Leafa were ready to go - his little sister was practically bouncing in place, ready to get some fighting in - and Argo... had already collected the rewards from beating the Rocky Wolves and gathered the necessary items for turning in the quest.

* * *

 **October 21st, 2022**

"How's the new armor, Silica?" Lisbeth asked the small girl. "Does it feel comfortable?"

The youngest member of their party rolled her shoulders. The heavier armor clanked a little bit. "Uh... It doesn't feel any more restrictive," she said. "I can still move around pretty easily. Not as fast as Argo, though."

"Nya hah hah!" Argo laughed from where she was lounging on the inn room bed. "That's 'cause I'm an AGI build, and lil' Silica is heavy in endurance and strength. Plus, she's wearing heavy metal armor while I'm specced fer cloth. It'd be weird if she was as fast as me!"

The new additions to the party had fit in almost perfectly. At the moment, they were all in one of the two inn rooms in Zumfut they'd rented, taking a break; Kirito was sitting in one of the chairs, while Asuna and Leafa were sitting on one of the two beds, Asuna's legs tucked neatly to the side in a prim and proper sitting position. Argo, naturally, was sprawled out on the other bed indolently, and Lisbeth and Silica were standing in the center of the room.

After two days of running dungeons and turning in quests, Argo and Kirito declared Lisbeth and Silica ready for the third Floor. Two days after that, they were ready to take on the most difficult dungeon on the Floor, barring the Labyrinth. As a celebration of sorts, Lisbeth took some of the ore from that cave dungeon on the second Floor and forged a new set of heavy armor for Silica. The small tank had been making do with store-bought armor and weapons, so this new armor was a huge increase in her survivability and viability on the front lines.

The new gauntlets covered Silica's forearms and protected her hands, and the greaves Lisbeth had made her were just as good. Her breastplate, instead of just covering her upper body, was a full-torso covering. No more getting attacked where her armor didn't cover, Kirito thought. It looked good on her, too, protecting her body while still letting her wear a skirt like she wanted. Silica twisted around, trying to get a good look at herself in her new armor. "How do I look?" she asked the room at large, though she was looking at Kirito while she did.

"You look great, Silica!" Asuna said immediately.

Leafa grinned. "Super fierce." Silica pouted at her in response, and Leafa wailed, "Oh no! Kazuto, save me from our intimidating party member!"

"Hey! Kirito, I don't look scary, do I?"

Kirito could only laugh. Even clad in the heavy armor, Silica looked about as intimidating as a little fluffy kitten. He was pretty sure it was the twin-tails with red baubles holding them in place. "Of course not," he assured her.

"Wait! What if I want to be scary?" Silica said suddenly. "Can I intimidate enemies? Is that a _thing_?"

"... _Is_ that a thing?" Lisbeth asked Kirito and Argo. The two beta testers had agreed that their party needed to trust them, so they'd confirmed the rumors about Argo. The disguise had been paper-thin at best, mostly upheld by a polite agreement to ignore the subject - a lot like how the others mostly ignored the way Asuna and Leafa always used his real name, Kirito thought idly - so the two girls hadn't been all that surprised.

"Eh," Argo said, waving a hand back and forth ambivalently. "Kinda?"

"There's the Taunt skill, and the Hate mechanic," Kirito explained when the info broker didn't elaborate, "but appearance doesn't _really_ make a difference. I think... There are a few outliers, like, uh..."

Asuna sighed. "Like the bull-themed enemies that will prioritize anyone wearing red," she said. Lisbeth and Silica's eyes darted to the silky red cape she wore. "Yes, we learned that the hard way."

Lisbeth chuckled and Silica giggled a little bit at Asuna's put-upon expression. "But other than that," Kirito said, "I'm pretty sure your looks won't change how the mobs treat you."

"Oh..." Silica looked down at herself, and then clenched a fist. "Yeah, this looks good, Liz! Thanks a lot!"

"No problem," Lisbeth said with a grin. "And I'll even help keep it repaired, so no matter what you'd better bring it back, got it?" Kirito smiled faintly at the 'order'. Silica seemed to miss the corollary as she assured Lisbeth that she'd definitely take good care of the gift.

After a little bit more relaxing, Kirito took a glance around the room. Leafa and Asuna had repaired their weapons earlier, Argo never went anywhere without being fully prepared, and Lisbeth and Silica had just returned from forging armor and upgrading weapons. Naturally, his two prized Anneal Blades were in good repair, though they were starting to show the fact that they were weapons from the first Floor. His damage output was starting to drop... Yeah, he decided as he stood up, he needed new swords pretty soon. "Ready to go? We're taking on one of the harder dungeons on the third Floor, so make sure you've got everything you need."

"Roger, bossman!" Lisbeth said, giving him an elaborate salute. After a second, she laughed and dropped the act, something Kirito was pretty grateful for. "We both stocked up on everything while we were out, so Silica and I are good to go!" She slung an arm around the other girl, lightly rapping on her armor. "This was the last thing left."

Kirito glanced at Asuna and Leafa to see them both nodding approvingly. "In that case," he said, feeling his lips turn into a smile as he stood up, "what are we waiting for?"

...

"Eeeeek!" Silica squealed. Again, she was running around the room, desperately fleeing from an enemy. This time, though, Kirito couldn't exactly blame her.

The dungeon they were running took the form of a dark, twisted forest with gnarled trees and overgrown vines clogging the nearly-invisible path. Thanks to Argo's Skills, they were able to avoid getting lost, but that didn't mean they wouldn't fight mobs along the way. Blackroot Treants, the upgraded and more dangerous version of the Treants that filled the lush forests of Floor 3, tended to camouflage themselves along the path and ambush the party from behind. Again, Argo's Skills went a long way to keeping them safe. However, there was a second trap hidden in the dungeon: breakable twigs that, when stepped on accidentally, would summon more mobs.

The mobs that appeared when a twig was cracked tended to be more plant-like mobs, Poisonous Nepents. They were a lot like the Little Nepents and their larger brethren Nepents; a large, Venus flytrap-like head on top of a thin plant stalk. Unlike the two Nepents on the first Floor, however, their vine tentacles didn't end in sharp-edged leaves. It made their regular attacks a little less dangerous, but in exchange they had a grab attack that would poison the poor victim.

And, for some reason, they were all focusing on Silica, to the exclusion of pretty much everyone else in the party.

"No no no!" Silica wailed as a vine wrapped around her waist - and hoisted her in the air, dangling her upside down. "H-Hey! Put me _down_!"

"Uh... Should we help her?" Lisbeth asked, a tone of utter bemusement in her voice as the rest of the party watched Silica flail in the air with her sword, not coming close to hitting the vine.

Kirito watched as Silica was jerked around, gravity taking over and her skirt - Suddenly his vision went dark. "No looking, mister," Asuna said sternly, her hands covering his eyes.

"Yeah," Leafa said. Her hands were... probably also over his eyes, Kirito decided. "Liz, Argo, can you take care of that mob?"

"Nya hah hah!" Argo's laugh sounded from in front of him. "Sure, sure. You two make sure Kii-boy's not bein' naughty an' peekin' where he shouldn't, 'kay?"

"I wouldn't!" Kirito protested. "I'm not! I didn't!"

"Nya hah hah!" Argo's teasing laugh was the only thing that answered him before the sounds of combat started. Kirito listened as well as he could; there was Lisbeth's shout, followed by a dull thump, and the familiar slashing of Argo's claws, and the soft rustle of cloth to his right and left from Asuna and Leafa as they shifted their weight from time to time.

Fortunately for Kirito and the others, the fight against the Poisonous Nepent didn't last too long, and Asuna and Leafa removed their hands. Kirito blinked at the sudden return of his vision, and realized that Silica was safely on the ground, smoothing down her skirt and blushing brightly enough that he could see it from here.

"Maybe there's something about appearances that attract the mobs after all," his mouth said, not consulting his brain on the way. Silica let out a mortified squeak and Leafa smacked his shoulder lightly. "I, uh... I mean, with how they were only focusing on Silica like that, their aggro AI must be weird."

"Good save," Argo murmured.

"A-Anyway," he continued, "we should probably keep moving. It's going to start getting dark pretty soon, and I don't like our chances in this place when it gets dark."

Asuna cast a skeptical eye up at the rapidly darkening sky, and then nodded. "Let's go a little faster," she said, clapping her hands once for everyone's attention. "If we finish soon, we can turn in the quest before dinner and then rest after we eat."

"Let's go!" Lisbeth cheered, suddenly all fired up to keep going.

As the party of six wandered through the forest, Kirito realized with a small, growing sense of dismay that the layout had changed between the beta and this run. It wasn't the first change from the beta, obviously, but it just drove the point home even further that they couldn't just rely on their previous knowledge. A few paths that Argo had been _convinced_ would lead further into the dungeon were just dead ends designed to waste time or, even worse, paths that looped back on themselves. They wasted a good ten minutes before realizing that they'd walked past the same environment three times.

All in all, when they finally stumbled into the boss chamber, everyone was tired, but ready to finally fight the boss and be done with it. At least, Kirito thought as he dashed forward, swords swinging at the roots of the Greater Blackroot Treant, the boss stayed in one place and they didn't have to chase it down.

His swords cut into the boss's bark and he slashed upwards with a Vertical Sword Skill, his right sword glowing. The red mark left behind stretched all the way up the trunk, and the Greater Blackroot Treant let out a _molololooo_ of anger. "Switch!" he called out as a large branch wound back to hit him.

Before the boss could strike, though, a heavy mace slammed into the boss's side, cracking and splintering its bark. "Hah!" Lisbeth crowed as the boss actually slid a little bit from the force of the blow. Kirito jumped back to safety, circling the boss to start attacking the flank. As long as they didn't strike from opposite sides, the Treant couldn't activate its ability to instantly turn around.

After two more Sword Skills, Kirito heard Asuna call out, "Switch!" and he jumped back. Asuna blurred past him in a lightning-fast flash of red, her rapier burying itself deep in the Greater Blackroot Treant in a two-hit combo.

Because of the powerful attack, however, the Greater Blackroot Treant's attention was drawn to her while Asuna was frozen in the post-Sword Skill lag. With a ground-trembling _molololooo_ , the Treant twisted around towards the long-haired girl and reared back. The powerful attack of the Treants, where they would bite at the player with their gnarled teeth, and Asuna couldn't move.

"S-S-Stop it!" Silica yelled out as she jumped forward. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she held her shield forward like she was offering it to the mob, but even when the Treant bit down on her shield, she didn't let it knock her around. Instead, the boss bounced off of the shield, getting staggered by the reflected force of its own attack.

"Hit 'im while he's stunned!" Argo shouted, jumping in. She spun, her claws raking gashes in the boss's body. "Leafa, switch!"

"Right!" Leafa let out a shout as she charged in, her curved sword slashing.

After fifteen minutes of slowly whittling down the boss, Leafa unleashed a whirling Sword Skill that passed by the boss, leaving her in a stance behind the Treant - but it didn't matter. With a final, moaning _mololoooo_ the Greater Blackroot Treant toppled over like a felled tree, landing on the ground with a crash before shattering and exploding into blue polygons.

Lisbeth straightened up, panting, before blinking in surprise. "Oh... Hey, we won!"

"Why do you sound surprised, Liz?" Silica exclaimed, pouting at the freckled girl. The expression was kinda cute on the girl wearing heavy plate armor, Kirito thought idly. "Mi- Kirito taught us how to fight them, so of course we were going to win!"

With the death of the boss, the ominous gloom of the forest cleared up, just a little bit; it was like the air felt a little less thick, making it easier to breathe. Kirito glanced around, searching for the reward at the end of the dungeon, and then noticed small glowing motes of light, gathering around the edge of the boss fight clearing. "Hey, Kazuto," Leafa said, "is that..."

"It is," he said with a nod.

"Finally," his little sister sighed. Kirito grinned at her exhaustion.

Once the lights gathered, a light shone and faded away to reveal a bright red flower, fully grown in the soil under one of the trees at the edge. "And, collected," Asuna said with satisfaction as she tapped the Funeral Rose and added it to her inventory. Kirito's Quest Log updated, scrolling in the corner of his vision, but he already knew what it was going to say.

"All this for a single Funeral Rose," Lisbeth sighed. Silica shivered, looking almost traumatized by her experience with the Poisonous Nepents in the dungeon.

Asuna smiled. "I don't know, I think it's romantic, looking for a flower to mark the grave of her sister's husband."

"But... Doesn't it kinda seem a little weird that _we're_ the ones collecting the flower?" Leafa asked, raising a finger. "Like, does that make it less sentimental?"

Asuna started to reply, before she paused, thinking about what Leafa had brought up. "Eh, it's a quest, don' worry 'bout it," Argo said easily, folding her hands behind her head. Naturally, those two are the ones questioning the story, Kirito thought. Since they have the least amount of experience with games, it's only natural they pick out the weird parts. "Anyway, let's go turn in th' quest an' get our reward. Big Sis's itchin' fer that sweet, sweet col."

...

"Thank you," the Dark Elf warrior said as she accepted the Funeral Rose. "It will bloom brilliantly, and honor the graves of my sister and her husband."

"We're very sorry for your loss," Asuna said gently.

The beautiful elf shook her head, her short purple hair swaying in the slight breeze. "It was a long time ago," she said. "And they would not want me to mourn them forever." As she talked, she turned and started walking away, making her way through the small forest. Naturally, Kirito and the girls followed her. "It is nice to see humans in this forest once again. Your people are trying to ascend the Pillar of the Heavens, are they not?"

The Pillar? Kirito wondered, before realizing what she meant. "Oh, the Labyrinth. Yeah," he said. "We're climbing our way to the top of Aincrad."

The elf nodded as the small procession emerged from the woods. Kirito realized abruptly that they were incredibly far on the south edge of the Floor, standing on a cliff looking over a canyon. The sky was visible, the setting sun staining the clouds a mixture of orange, red, and purple. A solitary tree stood watch over blades embedded in the stone, point first. The dark elf walked past several blades before stopping at one just beneath the leaves of the tree. With a quiet whisper too low for Kirito or the others to here, the NPC reverently placed the Funeral Rose in front of the sword.

It was a grave marker, Kirito realized. For her sister and brother-in-law.

After kneeling in silence, the dark elf rose to her feet again and turned to the party of six. "Thank you very much for your hard work," she said. Again, Kirito saw the quest log in the corner of his vision start scrolling with updates; this time, marking the quest as complete and awarding him with EXP and col. "I wish you luck on your quests," she said, rapping her breastplate with a closed fist in a salute. "And if you will accept some advice, beware the deadly toxins of the guardian beast. You ought to prepare yourself with plenty of poison-counteracting potions."

"Ah, thank you for letting us know," Asuna said politely.

Leafa nodded. "That'll be helpful."

As they walked away, Lisbeth folded her arms behind her head. "Please, you're acting like Kirito and Argo didn't know about it already," she said. "I mean, they're beta testers, of course they'd know the boss's moves, right?"

She turned to look at Kirito and Argo, clearly expecting them to reply with confidence. When she looked at them, though, Kirito scratched his cheek awkwardly, looking away from her sheepishly; Argo simply tugged her hood further forward to hide her face, ducked her head, and muttered, "Can't sell ya that info, Liz..."

"...No way," Lisbeth said in disbelief. "You didn't..."

"Can't sell ya the info!"

Kirito chuckled weakly at the girls' stares. "Good thing we did this quest?" he offered.

Again, the knowledge of the beta had lured them into a false sense of security.

* * *

 **October 22nd, 2022**

"Nya hah hah..." Argo laughed with exhaustion, leaning back on the couch. She stayed upright for a few seconds before limply sliding to the left. Kirito didn't move as her head flopped down onto his lap, the info broker curling up against him. Instead, he just started gently running his fingers through her hair, idly playing with it. He still felt a little uncomfortable when another girl other than Leafa or Asuna leaned on him like this, but... Argo was Argo. "Ahh... Don' stop, Kii-boy, that feels great..."

"You're done?" he asked her.

"Mm-hmm," Argo replied, her eyes drifting closed. "The newspaper's comin' out as we speak, an' I got in contact with Cactus-head an' Blue Boy. They're 'grateful for the information'," she said, mimicking Lind's voice, "and wanted to say 'next time we'll do the quests ourselves! So don't think yer hot stuff jus' 'cause ya got lucky, got it?'" This time, it was Kibaou's rough accent Argo briefly adopted.

Kirito chuckled. "Well, thanks for your hard work," he told her. "Do you want me to pay you?"

"Nah, jus' don' stop," Argo said with a grin. Kirito could only shake his head and continue rubbing Argo's head, patting it. She snickered again and leaned into the touch like she was a cat.

A cough from his left made Kirito look over to see Leafa standing by the edge of the couch, hands on her hips. "Ahem," she repeated herself, clearing her throat.

"Oh, hey Leafa," Kirito said. "How's it going?"

"...No fair, pet me too..."

Kirito tilted his head at Leafa's quiet whisper. It was too low for him to hear the actual words. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing," she said. Still, she took a seat next to Kirito and leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder. Kirito was used to this, having spent many hours playing on the couch next to his sister; occasionally, they would try to stay up late to marathon a game, but she would always fall asleep. For the last hour or so before he succumbed to sleep himself, he would play the game with his sister sleeping against his shoulder.

It didn't really make things easier, but she looked so happy sleeping there he had never wanted to wake her.

"The boss fight's tomorrow," he said. Argo didn't stir on his lap - he wasn't sure if she was even still awake, she'd pulled an all-nighter getting everything set up and only now finished, the day after they learned about the change to the Floor boss - but Leafa let out a quiet murmur. "It's going to be dangerous, but -"

"Kii-boy," Argo mumbled sleepily, "yer not gonna say somethin' stupid like 'I don't want ya to go, stay safe while I fight', are ya?"

"Of course not," Kirito said immediately. "Even if I thought there was a chance you'd stay behind -"

"There isn't," Leafa said promptly.

"- I'll feel safer with everyone there," he continued. "We're a party, right? And that means we've got each other's backs."

He felt a slender pair of arms wrap around his upper body. "You say the sweetest things, Kazuto," Asuna said, leaning over the back of the couch to give him a hug. Kirito smiled. "Don't worry, we'll be fine tomorrow."

"What's all this cuddle pile going on here?" Lisbeth asked as she walked into the inn room, Silica at her heels. Immediately Asuna released Kirito and all but jumped away, doing her best to pretend she hadn't been hugging him. Leafa and Argo, though, didn't bother moving. "Geez, you're always telling us to be ready, and here you are taking it easy." She gave everyone an easygoing grin, to show she wasn't _really_ offended.

Silica fidgeted a little bit, clearly wanting to go join the players on the couch, but before she could, Argo sat up and stretched indolently. "Mmmm... Kii-boy cuddle batteries charged up," she said, giving Kirito a wink. "Sorry to take yer spot, A-chan. He's all yours, I gotta run really quick."

Asuna and Kirito blushed, avoiding looking at each other. Argo snickered as she walked out of the inn room, heading off to reply to whoever had messaged her. Of course, Kirito thought, he'd almost forgotten that she still worked as an info broker, since she'd been spending so much time with them.

As Asuna sat down primly on the couch next to the cuddling siblings, Kirito looked over at Silica and Lisbeth. "Any luck?" he asked them.

"Eep!" Silica squeaked as she was captured by Asuna and pulled into the older girl's lap. Immediately, Asuna commenced fussing over the young girl.

"Yeah, I managed to pick up a few repair tools from that merchant you told us about. Agil's pretty nice, even if he looks scary."

Kirito nodded at Lisbeth's words. The axe wielder from the first Floor had, apparently, taken up the mantle of being one of the player shopkeepers; that was why he hadn't been present for the second Floor boss fight. He'd asked Argo why Agil switched, but the info broker had just shrugged and told him, 'I could find out, but it'd cost ya, Kii-boy,' so he decided to just let the subject lie.

All in all, after the miscellaneous tasks were done - repairing their equipment, getting Lisbeth to do one or two last-minute upgrades, things like that - the group was free to just sit back and relax, resting up for the big fight the next day. Asuna made them all dinner once Argo got back from her info broker trip to sell someone info; Kirito was tempted to ask what they'd purchased, but she would just make him pay for the answer.

...

Eventually, it was the next day, the day of the boss fight. Kirito and the others got up early, fully rested and prepared. They made their way through the Labyrinth carefully, trying not to get in any dangerous situations that would drain their energy or resources. It helped that a lot of the spawns Kirito and Argo remembered as being tricky weren't on the main path they needed to take; the most powerful mobs guarded the rare chests that they were ignoring in favor of reaching the boss room as quickly as possible.

Fortunately for them, Argo knew the way and led them through the fastest route. "Oh!" Asuna said as they reached the hall leading to the massive boss door. "We're the first ones here..."

"Convenient," Argo said with a grin. "Means _we_ get ta lead th' raid, right?"

"I don't know," Kirito said slowly. "Is that a good idea? I mean, they just made their guilds, so wouldn't Lind or Kibaou feel like we're stealing the spot from them?"

Leafa nodded. "I agree with Kazuto," she said. "I think it'd be better if we let one of them take the lead for now."

When Kirito looked at Lisbeth and Silica, neither of them had an opinion, so he said, "Asuna, Argo, you don't have a problem with letting someone else lead, do you?"

Argo shook her head and folded her arms behind her head casually. Asuna hesitated before saying, "...As long as things don't turn into a repeat of the last boss fight, I think it'll be okay. Argo, you spread the information about the boss's attacks, right?"

"I took care of it," Argo replied, giving Asuna a thumbs up. "Don't worry so much, A-chan, it'll make ya get wrinkles on that cute face."

"How cute I am is irrelevant when it comes to everyone's safety," Asuna said, cheeks a little red.

"Spoken like a cute girl that knows she's cute," Lisbeth muttered to Kirito. He very, very carefully didn't say anything one way or another.

They all waited patiently for the first group to arrive - it turned out to be Kibaou and his Aincrad Liberation Squad, making up enough players for two full parties. Not long after that, Lind and the Dragon Knights Brigade showed up, and the usual arguments started up. It was somewhat less violent than usual; if anything, Lind was complaining just to complain, Kirito thought. The two guild leaders must have come to some sort of agreement over the past week.

Before the door opened, while Kibaou was hyping everyone up with his usual bluster, Lind approached Kirito where the black-haired boy and his party were standing off to the side so as to not be a huge disruption. "Kirito," Lind said, "I've come to ask you something."

"Hey," Argo said sharply, "I told ya yesterday, that's -"

"I think I know what your answer is going to be," Lind continued, speaking over Argo. The info broker blinked in surprise before glaring at the blue-haired man in irritation. "But I need to ask it anyway. Will you join our guild?"

"Join your guild?" Kirito repeated blankly. "What... are you talking about?"

"You're a powerful player," Lind said. "The others in the Dragon Knights Brigade would welcome you gladly. Normally, you'd have to go through an approval period, but I think we can put that aside given your accomplishments." Then he grimaced. "And... I know this will be an unreasonable requirement, but..." This time, he turned to Asuna and Leafa. "The guilds need to stay on relatively equal levels. So, if Kirito joins the DKB, your party would have to be split up. Asuna and Leafa would be required to join the ALS guild."

Kirito stiffened at Lind's statement. Like the blue-haired man had said, it was an entirely unreasonable request to make. Be separated from his little sister and best friend? Leave Silica and Lisbeth alone to fend for themselves and scrabble for a position in one of the two guilds, or try to go solo? Even Argo, who claimed to be an independent info broker - he remembered how content she seemed, sprawled out across Asuna's lap and even his own.

But before Kirito could form the words to reply to the insane condition, someone else spoke first. "I refuse," Asuna said coldly, a pale flame burning in her eyes. "Who I choose to be around, and party with, that is _my_ choice. It isn't something you can add as a simple condition. If I have to sit here and take that nonsense from you, I would rather go back to the Town of Beginnings and hide in an inn for the rest of my life!"

"A-chan," Argo said quietly, stunned by the proper girl's abrupt change.

"So no, Lind," Asuna hissed. "I will _not_ be bought and sold so that you can claim my Kazuto for your guild. You can go and tell Kibaou the same thing."

Leafa crossed her arms. "There's no way I'd ever leave my big brother's side, and don't you forget it."

Lind swallowed nervously. "O-of course," he said, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. "I understand. Please, forgive my presumptions."

"Told ya it wouldn't work," Argo said lightly, though her eyes were serious. "Oh well. Not _my_ fault if ya don't listen to the advice ya pay for. Maybe next time yer gonna understand I know what I'm talkin' about?"

Lind didn't have a reply for that. Instead, he just turned around and walked back to his group, the scimitar at his side clanking on his hip. Asuna glared at his retreating form for a few seconds, before letting out a large sigh. "I'm sorry," she said softly as she leaned against Kirito for support. Naturally, he gave it to her. "I wish you didn't have to see that."

"Whoa, Asuna is really cool," Silica murmured, staring at the older girl with stars in her eyes.

"It's okay," Kirito said, wrapping an arm around Asuna in a loose hug. "He pissed me off too. Honestly, I was expecting Leafa to say something first, though."

"Hey! Kazuto!" Leafa protested.

Lisbeth coughed. "Not that this isn't fun to watch," she said, "but I think Kibaou's wrapping the speech up. We're about to start."

Asuna gently pulled away and stood up straight. Kirito and the others took a few deep breaths to compose themselves before walking forward. They entered the boss room at the heels of the ALS and DKB, prepared to fight the boss.

"It's... huge..." Lisbeth gasped, staring up at the boss filling the center of the room.

Kirito glanced at her, noticing the way her hands had fallen limply by her side in shock without letting go of her weapons. "This is your first time seeing a boss, isn't it? Yours and Silica's, right?"

Silica nodded silently.

The boss, Nerius The Evil Treant, was a Treant a lot like the ones found in the forests, and like the Blackroot Treants that Kirito and his friends had fought in the dungeon that elf sent them to. It was all-around bigger, so big that it would take an entire party to surround it and taller than even the Greater Blackroot Treant they'd fought earlier. In addition to the size increase, however, there was one major difference.

The crown of Nerius, the branches spreading above its head, was - instead of bare, like every other Treant they'd faced - covered with purplish-green leaves, slick and shiny with some sort of coating. Like the dark elf had warned, it could shake those leaves free using a wide-area poison skill that hadn't been in the beta. Thanks to the warning, however, there was no problems beating the boss at all. The fighters had been given enough time to prepare, and so their stock of antidotes didn't even come close to running dry.

If anything, the closest they came to having an issue was when Kibaou and Lind started shouting contradictory orders to the tanks holding off the boss's attacks - "Switch with Team C!" "Hold on a few more minutes!" - and even then the situation was resolved easily enough, Lind quieting down and letting Kibaou give the commands. For all of his rough manner, Kirito thought as he drank a potion away from the boss, Kibaou knew how to get people to listen to him.

Finally, after fifty minutes of fighting the boss, Kirito and Asuna struck simultaneously with powerful Sword Skills. They blasted deep into the bark of the tree, and it finally froze before exploding into blue polygons. As the Congratulations banner appeared overhead, the two friends high-fived.

After checking her drops, Asuna sighed. "I was really trying to get it that time," she said, sulking a little bit.

"Eh?"

"The Last Attack Bonus. Our Sword Skills were both two-hit combos, and they both hit at the same time," Asuna continued. "And your attacks have a damage penalty thanks to your dual wielding, so by that logic _I_ should have been the one to get the LA bonus. So, how do you explain this?"

Kirito scratched his cheek. "Um... I hit just a little bit faster?"

Asuna scowled at him, but could only shake her head in a huff. "Good job, you two," Lisbeth said as she approached the pair, mace sheathed. Leafa and Argo followed her.

"You were great out there!" Silica exclaimed as she ran up. "It was so impressive, Mister Kirito, Miss Asuna!"

"I keep telling you, Silica," Kirito said with a smile, "you don't need to call us Mister or Miss. We're all part of the same party, so no need for that kind of formality."

While they all smiled and laughed, Argo glanced over at the other groups. "Uh oh," the Rat said quietly. "Kii-boy, we got trouble."

"We wuz all in danger 'cause you couldn't keep yer nose outta our business!"

"Maybe if you watched out for everyone, we wouldn't -"

"Oh yeah?! You think I'm not tryin' ta keep all these guys alive, same as you?!"

Kibaou and Lind's argument was starting to escalate, and Kirito exchanged a dismayed glance with Argo. The tentative truce seemed to be on the verge of falling apart; it was almost like Kirito could see a dragon and tiger facing off against each other in the glares they were trading. One of Lind's members was standing by his guild leader's shoulder, trying to say something - "Shivata," Argo whispered when Kirito asked for his name - but Lind was too angry to listen. Kirito wanted to do something to get them calmed down, but he hesitated to step up, though. Since they were a separate party, they didn't really have any room to speak in guild matters. Glancing back at his group, he saw Leafa, Lisbeth, and Silica mostly ignoring the shouts. Asuna was looking at him, and smiled when their eyes met.

"Um... Hey..." Asuna's smile had given him the encouragement he needed, and before he knew it he was standing in front of the quarreling guild leaders. "Should you really be doing this in front of everyone? This whole... thing." He waved a hand lamely at the two of them, trailing off. He wasn't a public speaker! He was barely a speaker at all! This was really something Asuna should be doing, his mind wailed.

Lind and Kibaou hesitated, glancing at him and then at the audience around them. "He's got a point," Lind offered. "...Let's just do the loot rolls and talk privately later."

Kirito let out a sigh of relief as the two guild leaders separated without further incident, Lind speaking quietly to Shivata and Kibaou stomping back to his guild members with his hands shoved in his pockets. He'd been nervous to say something, but it all worked out in the end, right?

Since they were just an independent party, their drops weren't subject to the same rules as those worked out by the guilds, so Kirito and the others headed up to activate the next Floor like usual. After the Teleport Gate was activated, players from the lower Floors coming through to sight-see, the party retired to the nearby inn for rest and relaxation. For Argo, that meant dealing with the latest edition of the newspaper announcing their success; for the other girls, that meant heading into the adjoining bathroom for a long soak in the bath. Kirito, meanwhile, sat on one of the chairs to keep Argo company while she worked.

While Argo tapped away at her menu, he folded his hands and stared into space. The guilds were fighting themselves more than the mobs when they weren't fighting the boss... At this rate, Kirito mused, they would end up at odds, instead of helping everyone survive. But what could he do... "Whatcha thinkin' about, Kii-boy?" Argo asked, sitting on the edge of the inn bed and kicking her legs idly. She must have finished a little while ago, Kirito realized. "Tryin' ta imagine what A-chan an' the girls look like in the bath?"

"Wha... No!" he yelped, feeling his face burn. "I was just... thinking about the guilds."

Argo's lips twisted in a brief moue of distaste. "Yeah, 's not great," she sighed. She didn't elaborate, but she didn't need to. Their thoughts on the subject were more or less the same.

In the end, Kirito let out a long sigh. "I just wish there was some way we could get them to stop fighting. If they don't, it'll be the other players that end up suffering the most, I think."

"Always worried about everyone else, and never about yourself," Asuna said fondly.

"Well, that's Kazuto for you," Leafa replied.

Kirito looked up and over at the door to the bathroom. The girls had come out, fresh from the bath, and must have heard the tail end of the conversation. "And I doubt that's ever going to change," Asuna continued. "So that means it's our job to watch over you, right?"

Lisbeth grinned. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"Thanks, you guys," Kirito said with a smile. "It's good to know you have my back. That just leaves figuring out what to do..."

Asuna tilted her head. "Isn't it obvious?" When everyone stared at her, she continued, "If the current leadership isn't doing a good enough job, then you step up and do a better job."

"...You're saying _we_ should make a guild?" Silica asked.

"Well, why not?" When nobody could form a good reason not to form a guild of their own, Asuna nodded. "Good. Now then, we just need to come up with a name."

"Ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me," Argo said, raising her hand like she was in class. "I've got a few ideas! How about the Royal Harem? Or the Royal Lovers? Royal..." She trailed off as the others blushed and shook their heads rapidly. "No?" she asked innocently, cocking her head to the side cutely.

"No!" the girls exploded. Asuna and Leafa were blushing red, while Lisbeth and Silica looked a little flustered and uncertain about the insinuation.

Kirito coughed. "Those suggestions aside, why do they all start with Royal, Argo?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" the Rat replied. "After all, we've got a Princess an' a Prince."

"...Prince?" Kirito asked. Meanwhile, the other girls huddled in a close circle, whispering to themselves.

Argo's lips spread in a wide smirk. "Oh, whoops, silly me," she said, looking as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "Did I forget ta mention that people started talkin' about the Black Prince that uses two swords? Jus' a lil' rumor that's started spreading ever since... Weird, ever since someone defeated Illfang on Floor 1."

Kirito stared at her, trying to figure out what to say. Before he could find the words, though, Asuna and the others turned to face him, and he felt a small shiver of unease as he beheld their happy, content smiles.

"That settles things," Asuna said firmly. "From now on, we're going to be the 'Royal Blades.'" She smiled sweetly at Kirito. "We look forward to working with you, Guild Leader."

"...What?!" Kirito yelped.

* * *

 **And with this, we've reached the end of the first Arc, Introductions. The main players are assembled! The stage is set! I'm not entirely sure why I'm trying to be dramatic. Let the games begin!**

 **Liz and Silica join the party! *Final Fantasy fanfare* With that, the six members have gathered; it makes sleeping arrangements a little weird, since I'm imagining the beds are only big enough for two people at a time, but Sugu has no problem taking advantage of that to try to stay with Kazuto. I mean, he doesn't _let_ her (even if she pouts) but she keeps trying. Sorry, Kizmel fans, but this chapter was the most we're going to see of her. Kazuto has enough lady problems as is without an amorous elf trying to get in the bath with him, or sleep in his bed, or...**

 **Mostly this chapter was low-key flirting from a bunch of these idiot characters. Hm, if Asuna is the Princess, why would Kirito be the Prince if he started out as the knight? Hm... And Asuna calling him ' _my_ Kazuto' was a little slip that nobody noticed in the heat of the moment. Except maybe Argo because she's Argo. Silica is mostly in hero-worship mode, and Liz isn't thinking of things like that, but the others girls are pretty close to Kirito.**

 **Arc 2 is going to be a bit more jumping around; we're not going to be sticking to doing each individual Floors like the past few chapters, since that was mainly to get everyone up to this point. Next time: Christmas Party!**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or left a review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

 **December 22nd, 2022**

"Kirito," Lisbeth called out, "are you free?"

Kirito grunted in response as he swiped at Asuna's exposed side. The long-haired girl's eyes narrowed and she side-stepped the blow, dodging out of the way and thrusting forward with her rapier. With a short gasp, Kirito brought his second sword up and parried the attack, the rapier sliding across the surface of his blade with a screech of metal and a few sparks flying. "They're almost done," Leafa said absently as she watched the mock-battle intently.

The three guild members were standing in a simple dirt ring, kept separate from the rest of the area that they owned by a simple wooden fence. As part of creating the Royal Swords guild, all six of them had pooled their money and purchased a house on Floor 8; it was large enough for all of them to fit comfortably, though the girls tended to share beds since there were only four bedrooms. Originally, the plan should have worked out: Asuna didn't mind sharing with Silica, and Lisbeth and Argo got along well enough. Leafa suggested slyly that since everyone else was sharing the bed, she and her brother should sleep together, but _that_ was summarily shot down by all the girls at once. In the end, Kirito got his own bedroom, and the other girls split the rooms up among them; Asuna and Leafa slept together, Lisbeth and Argo shared a room, and Silica got a room all to herself.

In addition to a fancy kitchen - Asuna was thrilled - and a pretty nice living room with enough room for everyone to sit comfortably if they were friendly enough, there was a small training ring outside where duels could be initiated. That was what Asuna and Kirito were doing as Lisbeth walked over, looking for their guild leader.

Kirito pushed his sword, throwing Asuna off-balance, and shoved with his shoulder. Asuna was unable to respond properly and toppled over, hitting the ground. To her credit, she recovered well and rolled immediately into a crouch - before freezing, one of Kirito's swords at her throat and the other prepared in case she tried to counter. Asuna sighed and let the tip of her rapier fall. "I surrender," she said clearly.

As the duel ended and the system proclaimed Kirito the winner, he sheathed his swords and offered his hand to his defeated opponent. As he helped Asuna to her feet, Leafa came over. "Your form is awful," she told Kirito bluntly. "You have holes everywhere in your defense."

Kirito just shrugged. "I don't know what to say, Leafa," he said. "It works, right?"

"I know! And that's why it's so frustrating!" she exclaimed. "Rrgh... I have to train so hard not to let this game ruin my kendo skills, since the Sword Skills have weird activation stances."

Kirito grinned and patted Leafa's head. "I'm still impressed you're keeping up with that, Leafa," he said. "I know you work hard."

"Hey, stoppit," Leafa complained, but Lisbeth noticed she wasn't trying to duck away from Kirito's hand all that hard. Sibling love, she thought with a smile. They care about each other so much.

While Leafa and Asuna chatted, the black-haired girl offering suggestions to Asuna about her movement and keeping herself protected, Kirito approached Lisbeth. "Sorry I made you wait, Liz," he said. "What do you need?"

Lisbeth waved a hand. "Nothing major, but I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me. I'm going out shopping to see if they got any new ores!"

"You're always up to date on that sort of thing, Liz," Kirito said with a smile.

"Of course! I can't be the best blacksmith if I'm letting other people get ahead of me!" Lisbeth pumped an arm victoriously.

Kirito chuckled. "Sure, sounds like fun. Are we leaving right away?"

"I was hoping." She didn't expect the trip to take the entire day, but it was starting to get near the end of the year. It kinda got a little cold once the sun started to go down; sure, she had the fluffy pink coat and gloves Asuna had made her with her Sewing Skill, but that didn't mean that getting an early start would hurt. Plus, they could get the responsibilities out of the way, and then with the extra time browse some of the player-created goods. A craftswoman always had to know what the competition was putting out, after all.

Kirito nodded and swiped open his menu, storing his swords and swapping them for a fur-lined long coat that, what else, was black. Asuna had made that one too, using the fur of a mob from the tenth Floor to line the hood and cuffs. Still, Lisbeth couldn't help but needle her guild leader on his fashion sense. "Always black, huh?"

"Not always," Kirito protested as they started walking down the street towards the Teleport Gate. "Sometimes I wear blue."

"Only because Asuna and Leafa make you," she teased him. "They have you wrapped around their little fingers."

"It's not like that, Liz," Kirito complained. "I've just known them for a long time, that's all." Lisbeth hummed noncommittally. She was pretty sure it was because Leafa was his little sister and because Asuna was cute, no matter how much Kirito denied it. "Really!"

Lisbeth giggled. "I didn't say anything, doofus. C'mon, the popular shops are on Floor 12."

Once they were on the twelfth Floor, Lisbeth huddled in her warm coat and exhaled, watching the puff of breath float away. "It's so much colder here than it is on our Floor," Kirito said. "I'll be glad to get back to the fireplace."

"You just want to nap some more," Lisbeth accused him, though she was looking forward to a mug of Asuna's steaming hot chocolate herself.

The main town of the Floor they were on now was a popular one for the crafters thanks to how wide the central road running through the town was; Lisbeth herself would occasionally set up shop with her Vendor's Carpet if the guild was planning on taking the day off, though most of her blacksmithing projects were reserved for her guild members. That meant, then, that even though it was cold Lisbeth and Kirito had to wander all the way up and down.

Lisbeth studied a selection of the new ore available from one player's stall, and Kirito leaned over to take a look himself. "How does it look?" he asked.

She gave the ore another appraising glance and then waved her hand back in forth neutrally. "It's _okay_..." she said slowly. "But the ore is definitely a speed-type, so it wouldn't be any useful for you, me, or Leafa. Asuna, Argo, and Silica might want it for an upgrade, but I just upgraded their weapons last Floor, I want to hold off for another Floor or two before reforging the weapons. Besides, this one here?" She gestured at one unassuming chunk, and Kirito cupped his cheek as he looked at it. She knew he couldn't see any problem with it. "I guess my skill is higher than theirs is, because it's low-quality compared to the rest of the pieces for sale. The ingot it'd make would be two, three levels lower than we want, so it'd be useless for anything we want to forge."

"Do you think they know?"

Lisbeth shook her head. "I doubt it," she said. "Since everything else is pretty good, I think it's just an honest mistake. I'll leave a note and it'll be fine."

As she set a notification for the shop's owner whenever they came by to check on their goods - the person behind the counter was an NPC helper; useful, but not for this purpose - Kirito said, "That's really impressive, the way you know all that."

Lisbeth grinned at him. "I still can't keep track of all of the Sword Skills the way you can. This is nothing in comparison."

"I mean it," he said, and Lisbeth felt a little fluttering in her stomach at the praise.

To hide the reaction, she clapped her gloved hands twice and pointed imperiously down the street. "No time for chit-chat," she reminded Kirito. "Not if we want to get back before dinner."

"You're such a slave driver," Kirito sighed in good humor, following her on the way to the next stall displaying the new ore for sale. Lisbeth was pretty sure she wasn't going to pick up any of it, but there was no harm in looking.

After making their way down the street, they finally looked through the last shop and Lisbeth arched her back, stretching. "Alright," she said, pumping her fist. "Now let's go look at the other shops!" She was a little surprised at how well Kirito was taking the shopping trip. She'd honestly expected that the boy would have complained more. Then again, he was good friends with Asuna, and close to his little sister. Thinking of it that way, Lisbeth realized, they probably dragged him out regularly so he would be used to the trips.

"Ah! Kirito, look, look!" She was definitely a little too excited, but she didn't care. She was too busy staring at the glittering pieces of jewelry on display in one of the boutiques. She picked up a beautiful hairpin, a pretty flower with pink petals. "Check out this craftmanship! It's so pretty... It's almost _too_ good."

Kirito picked up one of the pieces and looked it over. It was a ring that Lisbeth had noticed earlier, with a fine filigree and artistic design. A little emerald was set in the center of the silver band. "Hm... So these accessories are just pieces of equipment that don't give any stats. They're just ornaments."

Lisbeth put down the hairpin and moved on to examine a necklace that caught her eye. She let out a quiet whistle. "I definitely couldn't copy this. It's amazing." It really was beautiful, the way the artisan had been so careful to get the blue sapphire carved into the shape of a small hammer, just like the kind she used in her blacksmithing. It's a shame this wouldn't suit someone like her, she thought. She knew she was 'one of the guys', so to speak; the girls in the guild were too nice to say it, she herself knew that she was a tomboy compared to all the others, even Argo.

"You're really interested in that," Kirito said from right behind her, "but isn't it a waste of an equipment slot? It'll take up space without giving you any stats. Plus, it's pretty expensive."

"Kirito!" Lisbeth exclaimed, whirling to pin him with a stare. She planted a hand on her hip and pressed a finger into his chest, prodding him. "Is _everything_ about numbers to you?"

"Huh?"

Lisbeth's eyes narrowed. "Can't you understand the amount of passion and practice that went into making something like this! It takes a high skill level to make accessories that can act as equipment, you know. I'm a blacksmith myself, so I know how much technique it would take to make this." Lisbeth put back the hairpin and looked over the goods again, her fingertips brushing the necklace she'd been looking at. "I think the creator of these didn't want you to think only about the stats equipment could provide. I think they wanted you to see the beauty of the piece, hoping it would speak to you."

Kirito didn't reply.

Lisbeth stared down at the necklace. She didn't realize it, but her expression went faint and a little wistful, and Kirito watched. "You want to eat Asuna's food because it tastes good, even though it doesn't boost your stats, don't you? You take naps, even though it doesn't give you stats. Leafa practices kendo, Argo will curl up on the couch late at night and read books, Asuna will brush Silica's hair. There's a million little things we do that don't _really_ matter, right? We do them because they're fun." Lisbeth smiled. "Even if it's pointless... I think that this necklace could be the thing that makes someone really happy, you know?"

"Ah... I get it now," Kirito said. "Sorry, Liz. I spoke without thinking."

Lisbeth blinked, realizing how she'd spoken to her friend and guild leader, and hurriedly said, "No, no, I shouldn't have said it like that. Sorry about getting so worked up."

Kirito shook his head. "No, don't apologize. I think that's something I needed to hear. I think... it's so easy to get wrapped up in clearing this game, and I needed someone to tell me something like that. Thanks, Liz."

Oh, jeez, Lisbeth thought in a panic, why is he smiling like that?! She was yelling at him, and then he was thanking her for it! "Hey, don't thank me like that, or you'll make me blush," she said with a grin. "I was lecturing you, y'know?"

"Thank you for sharing your information, Professor Liz," Kirito said with a grin.

Lisbeth just crossed her arms and huffed playfully. "Let's get going, Kirito," she said. "It's starting to get late, and we still have a bunch more shops to look through!"

"Coming, coming..."

Lisbeth cast another glance at the necklace before shaking her head and heading away from the stall. Nah, no way, she thought. Maybe on someone like Asuna... Though wouldn't earrings fit the pretty girl better?

* * *

 **December 24th, 2022**

It was definitely Christmas Eve, Kirito thought. The days were getting shorter, the temperatures were dropping, and on a few of the Floors simulated snow was falling to everyone's delight; all in all, Aincrad had been transformed for the festivities for about a week by this point, gaining festive lights decorating the streets of the towns and the occasional Christmas tree in the town squares.

Of course, as Kirito knew, with limited-time town changes came the most important thing, and the most definite sign that Christmas was nearly here.

He took aim carefully and brought his hand back, barely daring to breath. It had taken him this long, he wasn't going to screw up now. Long hours trudging through the snow that had started to pile up, even with his coat, meant that he was really, _really_ cold and wanted to get back. He couldn't stop just yet, though. He only needed one more. With a quiet breath, he pulled his hand back just a fraction of a hair more, and it was enough to trigger the Throwing Picks he was holding. He threw the picks and they flew straight forward, glowing blue.

The picks slammed into the Present Snow Rabbit, and with an adorable squeak it shattered into blue polygons.

Yes, with any seasonal event came event-only mobs, and rare event-only drops. The Present Snow Rabbit was small and cute, dressed in a little Santa coat and belt, and Kirito almost felt bad about hunting down a bunch of them for the rewards they dropped. Almost. He was still a gamer, after all, and missing out on limited-time items was something that his soul couldn't stand. Asuna didn't understand the drive at all, and Leafa and most of the others were tolerantly waiting. Out of all of his guild members, only Argo knew and understood the drive.

Standing up from where he'd been crouched in the bushes and brushing the snow off, Kirito stepped over to the pile of festively wrapped presents and tapped them one at a time, adding them to his inventory. Once they were safely collected, he started opening them while he walked back to town. The third present held the item he'd been looking for, and he smiled victoriously.

"Nya hah hah!" Argo laughed. "Get something good?"

To his credit, Kirito didn't flinch as Argo melted from the shadows, falling in step next to him effortlessly. "You'll see when we get home," he said, trying to play mysterious.

Argo grinned "Ooh, color me intrigued," she said. "Lemme guess... A rare drop? A new weapon? Ooh, didya get some S Class ingredient for A-chan to cook for Christmas Eve dinner?"

Kirito just shook his head. "You'll see when we get home," he repeated.

"Bah, yer no fun sometimes, Kii-boy," Argo grumped, crossing her arms. Then a mischievous smile stole across her face and she quickly placed her hands on Kirito's shoulders. A quick jump and twist later, and she was safely clinging to his back, grinning like the cat that stole the cream. Kirito had already shifted to accommodate her weight, so there wasn't any risk she'd fall off. "Carry me home?" she whispered in his ear. "I don't feel like walkin'."

"Fine, fine," Kirito sighed. "You'll just be a pain otherwise."

Argo threw her head back and laughed. "Nya hah hah! That's no way to treat a delicate maiden, Kii-boy. Yer supposed ta say, 'It would be my pleasure, Argo.'"

"I don't see a delicate maiden anywhere," Kirito replied drily. Still, he didn't move to force Argo off of him. He was, well, used to this sort of thing. It'd started in the beta, and Argo had just never stopped or gotten tired of riding around on his back. At least she only did that when it was safe to burden him, Kirito thought with a resigned smile on his face.

...

Silica was sitting in the living room polishing her armor while Asuna practiced her Sewing skill when Kirito and Argo got back to the house. Leafa and Lisbeth weren't anywhere to be found, though Kirito was pretty sure his little sister was out practicing her kendo swings again. "Welcome home, you two," Asuna said with a smile.

"We're home," Kirito called out. "...Argo?"

The hooded girl refused to get off of his back, clinging tightly against him and hugging tighter. With a sigh, Kirito walked over to the couch and waited patiently. "Thankies," Argo chirped, acrobatically spinning around and landing on the cushion next to Asuna with a soft _pomf_. "Ahh, nothin' beats a good ride from Kii-boy." She blinked after that, a strange expression crossing her face before she smirked and winked at him. "Eh? Eh?" Kirito did his best to ignore the awkward phrasing - as did Asuna, though Silica either missed the comment entirely because she was too busy with her armor or missed the double entendre - and took a seat in his favorite chair, facing the fireplace.

Argo curled up on the couch, leaning against the arm and stretching her legs out across Asuna's lap. The long-haired girl simply moved her work until Argo got comfortable before resuming. "Where's Leafa and Lisbeth?" Kirito asked as he settled back in the chair.

"Sugu is out practicing her kendo," Asuna replied. "Lisbeth is... I believe in her room, working on something." Kirito knew that Asuna would know everyone's location off the top of her head. It was why she was second-in-command, sharing the position with Argo, after all.

"Actually, ya mind gettin' 'em?" Argo was the one to make the request, surprisingly enough. "Eventually, no real need ta rush, but I got some info ta share."

He nodded. "I'll probably go talk to Leafa in a little bit, let her know. You know how she is about practice."

After a good fifteen minutes of drowsily resting, getting warm as the heater in the corner continued making the weather bearable, Kirito pushed himself to his feet. If he didn't, he'd fall asleep and end up napping until dinner... Making his way outside, he shivered from the abrupt shift in temperature before pushing through. New snow crunched underneath his boots as he followed the familiar path to the training ring where, like Asuna had said, Leafa was running through a few of her forms from kendo. He even recognized a few.

Leafa swung her sword, halting it in the familiar kendo stance as Kirito leaned on the fence. "Kazuto!" Leafa said, smiling. "Are you here to help?"

"Actually, I came to get you. Argo had some info she wanted to discuss with us. Kinda like a guild meeting, but not as important."

"Okay!" his sister said immediately, sheathing her sword on her hip. "I'm coming!"

When the two of them returned, it was to see Lisbeth coming into the main room from the kitchen. "Hey, Liz," Kirito said. "Good timing."

"Oh yeah? Whatcha need?" the blacksmith asked.

"Argo wanted to talk to everyone," Kirito told her. "I don't know why, though. She wouldn't say, just that it was kinda important."

Lisbeth shrugged. "I wasn't doing anything, just organizing my materials. Let's go."

Once everyone was assembled in the living room, taking their seat of choice, Argo stood up and moved to face everyone. "So, I think everyone knows what day it is today, right?" she asked.

"Christmas Eve," Silica said, grinning. "Though... Santa won't be able to visit us in here, will he..."

Asuna patted the young girl's head. "We'll think of something, even if he can't," she said. "I'm certain there will be a party organized soon if it hasn't been already..."

She trailed off as Argo raised a finger. "Actually, that's 'xactly what I wanted ta tell ya. See, the DKB and ALS actually did set up a Christmas party. They've been plannin' it fer a few days now, an' everyone will be takin' a break from clearin' ta relax an' enjoy the evenin'. There'll be a buncha players with th' Cooking skill, an' I think there's a gal singer comin' up from the Town 'a Beginnings."

"Really?" Silica exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "Then -"

"Aaaaan', here's where things get a lil' messy," Argo continued. "See, everyone knew about th' plans since they were made."

Lisbeth frowned in confusion. "But we weren't told..."

"Yep," Argo said as Lisbeth trailed off, her frown twisting into an angry scowl. After a second, the others all realized what was going on. "We're not invited."

"What?!" Leafa exclaimed, leaping to her feet. "That's _so_ not fair! We're clearers too!"

Kirito leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs and lacing his hands together in front of his face. "This is probably because they're still upset that I... that we made a guild," he said. "I don't know." Argo just shrugged helplessly, not that he blamed her. She was good, but nobody could know everything, no matter how much Argo bragged. Sitting beside Asuna, Silica visibly deflated, her twin-tails drooping.

"Well, if we're not invited to theirs, then we'll just have to have our own."

"Eh?" Kirito looked over at Asuna, like she hadn't just declared something ridiculous. "Asuna, what..."

Asuna stood up and planted her hands on her hips. "I don't think any of us want to go to some flashy party, especially if they're going to be rude about it. It might be rushed, but I think it'll be fun, just the six of us. What do you think?"

"I think it's a good idea," Leafa said, nodding. "Nothing beats celebrating Christmas Eve. And those guys are being jerks, so screw them."

"Language, Leafa," Kirito said automatically, but his mind was scrolling through the items in his inventory. He'd have to go out and buy presents for everyone... He had a few things in mind, of course, so it would just be a matter of sneaking off and buying them without anyone noticing. "But yeah, that sounds like fun."

"Guess we're havin' a party," Argo said with a grin. Silica let out a cheer, and Lisbeth laughed happily.

Asuna nodded. "Alright. Liz, let's get started planning this."

Lisbeth stood up, brushing off her skirt automatically. "We're gonna need food, definitely..."

While things kicked into high gear, Kirito slipped out to hit the town. It didn't take long for him to purchase everything, since he already knew what he wanted, but when he returned to the guild home he found Leafa waiting for him, Asuna standing next to her. "Hey girls," he said.

"Kirito, we're going to need more food," Asuna said. "Argo told us about the drops from the Present Snow Rabbits, the chocolate. How much do you have?"

"Here," Kirito said, swiping open his menu to move it to the guild storage. "Is this enough?"

Asuna studied her menu with a thoughtful expression, before shaking her head. "Almost. Do you think you two can go get me some more? ...Five should be enough, I think."

"Oh no, Asuna's turned into a quest-giver," Kirito said with a grin at Leafa.

His sister giggled. "Wonder what our reward is."

"A delicious dinner," Asuna said, smiling at the siblings. "Now get going, you two. And it's a timed quest, be back before six."

"Yes ma'am!" the siblings chorused. Collection quests might be boring, but Kirito knew which side his bread was buttered on - the side that got him Asuna's cooking.

* * *

Leafa hummed happily as she and Kirito trudged through the snow in search of the special mobs that dropped the chocolate Asuna wanted. Sure, it was annoying going after the small enemies, especially since they had good hearing and ran away if they were startled, but she was having fun! The snow was really fun to walk around in and hear it crunch underfoot; and as an added bonus, she got to hang out with her beloved big brother. So yeah, for Leafa, this was great.

"How many more do we need, Kazuto?"

Kirito swiped his menu open and glanced over the items. Combined with the few that Leafa had picked up, they had four of the five Christmas Chocolate items that Asuna had requested; their luck the last few Present Snow Rabbit had been abysmal, however, and none of them had dropped the last chocolate. Leafa just muttered under her breath about drop rates again.

They walked through the forests of Floor 13, mostly just going in circles to let the Present Snow Rabbits respawn. "So, Kazuto..." Leafa began coyly, "what did you get me? I promise I'll act surprised..."

Kirito chuckled. "Not gonna work, Leafa, you know better."

"Oh come on," she pouted. "Please? The anticipation is killing me."

Her big brother had opened his mouth to reply when he suddenly froze, raising his hand. Leafa crouched immediately, hand reaching for the throwing picks resting on her belt. She scanned the treeline, looking for whatever had caught Kirito's attention, and a splash of red caught her attention. The Present Snow Rabbit was foraging at the base of a tree, oblivious to their presence, but it was too far away to hit with the throwing picks from where the siblings were standing. "It hasn't noticed us yet," Kirito whispered.

"Do you want me to circle around, Kazuto?"

"No, we should be fine..." Kirito took a few cautious steps forward, careful not to rustle the bushes. When the Present Snow Rabbit stopped nibbling at the ground and looked up, head turning rapidly, he froze again. Leafa crept up the next time the Present Snow Rabbit got distracted by its idle routine. Like that, step by step, Kirito and Leafa crept up without the Present Snow Rabbit noticing a thing. With a silent nod, the siblings pulled throwing picks out, took aim, and -

"Eeeek!"

The sudden high-pitched feminine scream echoed through the forest, and the Present Snow Rabbit bolted immediately. Leafa let out a shout of surprise and threw her picks as fast as she could activate the Sword Skill, Kirito's picks joining hers in the air. They didn't even have time to see if they hit their mark - though Leafa dimly registered the cute squeal of pain, followed by a shattering noise - before the two front-liners were running through the forest, searching for the noise.

It wasn't hard to find who'd screamed. The loud crash of Sword Skills acted as a beacon to Leafa and Kirito, guiding them to the combat. When they rounded a hill, they screeched to a halt as they took in the sight. Leafa's kendo-trained mind kicked into gear, immediately picking out the important details.

There were five players to their right. One girl and four boys, most of them sprawled out in various collapsed poses. Only one, the boy with a shield, was still on his feet. They were fighting a rare mob that spawned in this forest, a large mantis with sharp teeth it used to bite at its foes. It was much tougher than the regular mobs in the area. They must have been surprised by the sudden jump in difficulty.

The Angry Mantis let out a screech and bit at the player with the shield. He clearly panicked and missed the good block; he deflected the strike but was knocked prone just like the rest of his party. Like that, the last hesitation in Leafa and Kirito's minds - 'Thou shalt not killsteal' - vanished and the two of them dashed forward. Kirito had kicked off just that slight bit faster, though, and his blade shone as he vanished forward with the Vorpal Strike Sword Skill.

As Kirito's blade dug into the Angry Mantis's unprotected side, slipping through a crack in the chitin, Leafa hesitated by the party. "Are you all okay?" she asked. Once she received a few stunned nods, she grinned and turned back to the mantis. "Sorry for jumping in like this, but it looked like you could use the help!"

"Th-thanks," the boy in red gasped.

Leafa didn't waste any more time on the pleasantries. "Switch!" Kirito called out, and she jumped in to counter a bite with a graceful swing of her sword. The kendo-trained girl struggled to activate Sword Skills at times, but with Kirito by her side there wasn't anything she couldn't do. She twisted the curved blade and slashed, spinning on her heel, and a spray of red polygons rewarded her strike. A quick side-step kept her out of range for the retaliatory bite, and Leafa brought her blade to bear. Then, with a shout, she drew it across her body horizontally, nearly bisecting the mob with the Wild Slash Sword Skill.

"Switch!" she called out as she spun away with the force of the blow, using the curved sword's natural movement style to her advantage. She still liked kendo better, but this sword style was okay too.

As she finished the spin, a black blur passed her and Kirito let out a shout as he slashed the monster with a powerful Vertical slash. He didn't hold back, either, and with all of the damage the Angry Mantis had accumulated to this point, Kirito's attack was enough to kill the elite mob. With the usual cheap sound of shattering glass, the bug mob exploded into blue polygons.

Kirito spun his swords and slid them into the sheaths on his back. Leafa shook her head at the unconscious flourish before sliding her own blade home into its sheath. After that, Kirito turned to Leafa. "Hey, Leafa, can you check your items?" he asked her. "I think the Present Snow Rabbit might have dropped something."

She shrugged and opened up her menu like her big brother had asked. "Oh hey, it dropped!" she exclaimed, cheering quietly. "We did it!"

"Great, Asuna would kill us if we were late..."

"Um, excuse me?"

Leafa and Kirito turned at the hesitant voice. The players they'd saved had picked themselves up and were facing them as a group; the one in red was in the front. He was the one that had spoken up. Leafa suddenly realized that they all looked like they were about her age. "Hey," Kirito said with a kind grin. "You guys okay?"

"Thanks to you!" the boy in yellow exclaimed, grinning at the two players. "That was amazing! You guys rock!"

"Ducker!" the boy in red hissed at him.

"What? They do! They were all 'slash' and 'wham' and 'slice'! They killed that thing like it was nothing!"

Kirito chuckled quietly. "Sorry. That was probably our fault, we've been farming this area for the event mobs. We should have been more careful so you weren't caught by the elite mob."

The boy in green shook his head. "We were having enough trouble with the _regular_ mobs. You front-liners really are something else, huh?"

"Regular mobs?" Leafa asked without thinking. "But these are pretty easy, as long as your level is... high... oh."

She trailed off about halfway through the sentence as the expressions on the players' faces fell. "Um... What _is_ your level?" Kirito asked cautiously.

"Eight." "Eight." "Nine." "Eight." "S-seven..."

Leafa stared at the players incredulously. With those levels, being on Floor 13 was... almost as good as suicide. "What?!" she squawked despite herself. And the girl wasn't even level eight! How did they think they were safe at all!

Kirito rested a hand on her shoulder, and Leafa swallowed the rest of her words. "What my sister meant to ask was, why are you up here on this Floor? It's probably better to be on Floor 5 or 6. Since you're a team, up to Floor 8 might be safe, too."

"We're gonna level up fast and join the front lines," the boy in yellow - Ducker? - said.

Kirito scratched his cheek. "Well, yeah, but there's pushing yourself and there's taking unnecessary risks. Why are you -"

"Ah! You're Kirito!"

The surprising interruption came from the girl. She had short black hair, and a mole under her right eye. Her armor was light, and she wore a light blue tunic. More importantly, she was pointing at Kirito, face having lit up in recognition. "Do I... know you?" Kirito asked.

The girl immediately lowered her hand, blushing. "Oh. I, um... You taught those classes on Floor 1, and I..."

"Oh, right!" Kirito said, clapping a fist in his palm. "I remember now. You were the girl that always came by herself... But I thought you used a dagger."

The girl shook her head silently, and the boy in red spoke up. "Actually, it was all of us Moonlit Black Cats," he said, Leafa quietly taking note of the name of their guild. "Sachi here didn't want to go at first, but your lessons really helped us learn how to fight. Thanks to you, we could handle the early Floors."

"Though I think we might have bitten off more than we could chew," the boy in purple said. "Thanks again for saving us, Kirito and... You're the Emerald Knight, Leafa, right?" Leafa blinked and then nodded with a grin, flattered that they recognized her. 'Emerald Knight', huh? She thought about it for a second, and decided she liked it.

"Say, we really want to thank you properly," the boy in red said. "Please, will you come to the inn we use as a base? We'll treat you to dinner!"

Leafa and Kirito exchanged a glance, before Kirito turned back to the boy. "Sorry, but we... already have dinner plans," he said. "Anyway, why don't we add each other to our Friends List? That way we can take you up on that dinner offer later."

"S-Sure!"

As they walked back to the nearby town to use the Teleport Gate and return home, Leafa scrolled through the new additions to her Friends List. "Keita, Ducker, Tetsuo, Sasamaru, and Sachi," she repeated. "They seem like they've got a good team," she said, looking over at her big brother.

He studied the list himself, and nodded. "Hopefully, they take our advice and stay on the lower Floors until they're prepared," he said. "We can't afford to lose anyone... Hey, Sugu?"

Immediately, Leafa focused entirely on him. He _never_ called her Sugu in SAO, even when it was just the two of them. "Yeah? Is something wrong?"

"...Because I taught those classes, that guild nearly... We were able to save them because we were there," Kirito said, "but what if we weren't? What if they get in over their heads again, and this time they..." He trailed off, but Leafa knew what words finished that question. "Did I do the right thing?" he asked her finally.

Leafa considered the question silently for a minute, the snow crunching underneath their boots. Finally, she decided on how she was going to answer her big brother. She looked at him, met his hesitant gaze, stepped forward, and bonked him smartly on the head with a chop.

"Ow!" Kirito yelped. She hadn't hit him hard enough to do damage, of course. "What was that for?"

That was when she executed part two of her answer and wrapped him in a big hug, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Of course you're doing the right thing, Kazuto," she told him. "You're teaching people the skills they need to survive in this game. Nobody could ever say that's the wrong thing to do. So don't you think you're doing something bad by helping them, okay?"

She felt his arms come up to return the hug. Smiling happily despite the cold and the serious subject, she snuggled closer. "Thanks, Sugu," he said quietly. "I think I wanted to hear that, especially from you."

"No problem, Kazuto," she said. "And if I think you're doing something stupid, I'll speak up, okay? Just so you're not worrying about this."

"I appreciate it," he said.

She realized how close his voice was to her ears, and abruptly it felt like her temperature spiked. She squirmed in Kirito's embrace until he let go, and popped away, doing her best to not look at her big brother. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire, and so did her neck and ears... "L-Let's go," she said. Her tongue tripped up, but she just hoped he blamed the cold. "Asuna's gonna be mad if we don't deliver the quest on time!"

* * *

Lisbeth kept stealing glances at Asuna as the two of them worked in the kitchen to set up the menu for dinner. "Let's see... Cream stew should work for the main dish," Asuna mused. "But what goes well with it...?"

"Uh, Asuna?"

"Hm?" She looked up at Lisbeth, blinking. "Is something wrong, Liz?"

Lisbeth shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong. I was just wondering something..." She trailed off, hesitating, and Asuna smiled encouragingly. "How come you're so interested in this party? I mean, it's just the six of us, and we don't _really_ need something super fancy to have fun, right?"

Asuna smiled faintly, staring down at her hands as she tapped at the ingredients she'd pulled out of her menu. "Well... To tell the truth, Liz, I'm being a little selfish." She giggled. "It's kind of silly if I put it that way, isn't it? Me being selfish is throwing a party for all of us." Lisbeth chuckled. "It's... always been a dream of mine to have a really fun Christmas party. I grew up in a nice family, but we never had what you'd call a family party, just us. My mother would always drag us out to some social event or another, and I'd be forced to smile, acting the perfect daughter. No matter how much I begged, I'd never be able to go spend the evening with Kazuto and Sugu and their family. So, in a way, this is something I've always wanted. _This_ party is my Christmas gift."

"Wow," Lisbeth murmured. "I didn't know. Sorry if I brought up bad memories, Asuna."

The beautiful girl shook her head. "Nn-nn. It's fine, honestly."

Lisbeth tapped her chin as she watched Asuna sweep everything she'd cubed into a stew pot. "Actually, there was something else I was going to ask you."

"Mm?"

"It's about Kirito and Leafa. They're... siblings, right? Or aren't they? I can't make sense of all that. Kirito and Leafa both _say_ they're brother and sister, but I get the feeling something's weird about that." Maybe it was the way that Leafa seemed to care about Kirito a little _too_ much that tipped Lisbeth off.

Asuna giggled. "Well, those two... Kazuto and Sugu have a complicated relationship. Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything specific. I promised, after all."

"Oh, jeez, I didn't know," Lisbeth said, immediately waving her hands. "I didn't want you to break a promise or anything, I was just curious." If she really wanted to know, she figured, she could just go ask Kirito directly and find out. She was pretty sure he would tell her if she asked.

Smiling, Asuna waved away the apology, saying, "It's fine. Now, what do you think would go better with the cream stew, some stir-fry beef and vegetables, or some fresh bread?" Lisbeth blinked blankly at her. Why would she know? Eventually, Asuna settled on the stir-fry and started preparing the dish. As the food started cooking, Asuna set a timer and nodded. "Alright, that should take about five minutes," she said. "Now, where are those two? I need to get started on the cake..."

The door to the house opened and closed in the other room. "We're home," Lisbeth heard Kirito call out.

Immediately, Asuna brightened up. "Liz, watch the kitchen for me, okay? Thanks! Welcome home!" she called out, hurrying out of the kitchen to greet the two hunters.

Lisbeth flailed around. "A-Asuna?!" Watch the kitchen? _Her_?! She didn't have the Cooking Skill! She could barely pass Home Ec, let alone make enough food for the party like this! Ack, Asuna was already gone before Lisbeth could even get the long-haired girl's name out of her mouth, let alone form a complaint. Baffled by what she was expected to do, Lisbeth took another look around the kitchen.

The cream stew was simmering and bubbling in the stew pot... Was it bubbling too much? Too little? Lisbeth wasn't sure, especially since Asuna always made it look easy, bustling around the kitchen like she knew exactly where to be. She decided to leave it alone and take a look at the frying pan with sizzling vegetables and beef. It... it smelled pretty good? Did she need to add spices or anything? Lisbeth didn't know.

She picked up a knife and stared at it in confusion. There wasn't even anything left for her to cut, why did she pick this up!

Just before Lisbeth was about to give up in total confusion, Asuna swept back into the kitchen and started moving around like a force of nature, knowing exactly where to go and what to check. "Turn down the heat on the stew," she murmured, "stir fry is doing fine... Start the cake, and it'll be done in time for dinner..." She produced several blocks of chocolate from her inventory, the sweet treats landing neatly in a stack on the kitchen counter. "I need the knife to prepare these, where did it go..." Numbly, Lisbeth handed Asuna the knife. "Ah! Thanks, Liz! And thanks for watching the kitchen for me while I got the food from Kazuto and Sugu."

"Yeah, no problem," Lisbeth said weakly, doing her best to ignore how flustered she felt. "I'll just get out of your way while you work, then."

"It'll be ready in a minute!" Asuna called as Lisbeth left the kitchen.

When she entered the living room and collapsed on the couch, it was like a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders. Everyone else in the guild was already sitting around; Kirito in his chair and Leafa and Argo sharing their couch, a spot left open for Asuna. "Are you okay, Liz?" Silica, who was sitting next to her, asked. "You look tired."

"Asuna's a slave driver when it comes to this stuff," Lisbeth said with a grin. "It was all I could do to keep up with her."

"It smells good, at least, so ya did good work," Argo said with a snicker.

Kirito chuckled. "Asuna gets a little intense," he said diplomatically. "But usually things work out for the best."

"Yep," Leafa nodded seriously.

A comfortable silence fell across the room as the five of them enjoyed the delicious smells coming out of the kitchen, Lisbeth enjoying the chance to just relax, before Kirito sat up in his chair. "Oh, that's right," he said like he'd just remembered something important. "Silica, this is something important, okay? I need you to equip this."

"Sure..." Silica blinked in confusion, before a trade screen popped up in front of her. She accepted the item Kirito had sent her, opened her menu, and tapped the screen a few times. After the final press, a light appeared above her head.

When it cleared, Lisbeth's eyes widened in shock and amazement. "Whoa!" Leafa gasped. Argo's eyes had widened and then narrowed again thoughtfully.

"What? What?" Silica asked, looking around in confusion. "Is something wrong? What happened? Is the hat okay?"

Kirito chuckled. "Sorry, it's just that it was a rare drop, and I figured it'd look good on you. What do you think, everyone?"

"Perfect!" "Silica looks great, Kazuto!" "Man, I can't believe it... How did Silica get even _cuter_?" Argo, Leafa, and Lisbeth all gave their opinions.

"Everyone, dinner is -" Asuna started to speak as she came out of the kitchen before her words cut off abruptly. Silica let out a squeak of surprise as the long-haired second-in-command practically teleported to the couch to pick up the girl and squeal. "Aaah! You look so _cute_ in that Santa hat!"

The rare drop from the Present Snow Rabbits, it turned out, was a purely cosmetic item, a Santa Hat that perched precariously on Silica's heads, tilted at just the perfect angle to enhance the youngest girl's cuteness factor by at _least_ ten. It was totally unfair, especially with the way she cocked her head in confusion and the little puffball at the end of the red cap flopped around.

Lisbeth was... _pretty_ sure that Asuna wasn't going to be letting go of the girl unless it was absolutely necessary, like if she needed to fight a mob or go to bed. Even then, she knew Asuna had the Martial Arts Skill, so she wasn't sure if either of those would be enough...

"Also, we hunted enough of the Rabbits that I got a bunch more," Kirito said, dragging the items out of his inventory and passing them around. "Enough for all of you."

And so that was how they celebrated Christmas Eve. All of the members of the Royal Blades, cute Santa Hats perched on their heads, clustered around a meal that Asuna had cooked with materials they'd all gathered together. Lisbeth laughed at Argo's jokes, Asuna and Leafa argued about who got to help finish Kirito's food - "I'm his little sister!" "I'm his best friend!" - while the poor boy tried to desperately eat without the two girls stealing everything on his plate. They did offer to feed him some of their food in exchange, but he kept refusing. Silica had managed to escape Asuna's clutches for the time being and was hiding on Lisbeth's other side, eating happily.

Eventually, the food was eaten and everyone was relaxing. "Ah, that was great," Leafa sighed.

"Yeah, prob'ly better than anythin' those other guilds could make," Argo hummed, patting her stomach in sated bliss. She'd sprawled out over the couch, one leg cocked over the end and her head in Asuna's lap. "This was definitely worth it. Thanks for the meal, A-chan."

"It was nothing," Asuna said, running her fingers through Argo's hair idly. Lisbeth squinted, not sure if it was the food coma she felt herself starting to slip into or just her imagination, but she could _swear_ Argo was purring happily from the pampering. "I'm glad everyone enjoyed it."

"Yeah, this was a great Christmas Eve party," Silica said. "I'm really glad I got to share it with all of you!"

"Hey, we're not done yet," Kirito said, and everyone looked at him. The black-haired boy had a grin on his face, like he was just barely holding back a huge secret. "I know presents are usually handed out tomorrow, but I wanted to give you guys something nice."

Lisbeth laughed. "You doofus," she teased her friend gently. "You're gonna make us feel guilty. Trying to get your presents early?"

"Wha- no!" Kirito yelped. "I just wanted to... You're teasing me, aren't you?" Lisbeth was pretty sure the grin on her face gave it away, as well as Asuna and Leafa giggling under their breath. "Well, Lizzzz... Since you're asking, I'll give you your present first." Lisbeth pouted at him, puffing her cheeks out petulantly. He knew she didn't like it when he said her name like that!

He tapped in his menu for a few seconds before producing a small, rectangular present. It was even wrapped in a fancy, colorful paper. She stared at it for a few seconds, trying to figure out what he could possibly have purchased, before giving up and ripping through the paper. It shattered into blue polygons, but Lisbeth didn't care all that much as she opened up the black box.

She gasped as she looked at the beautiful sapphire hammer necklace that she'd been interested in. "Wha..."

"I saw you looking at it when we were shopping," Kirito said. "You seemed really interested, so I picked it up as a Christmas present for you."

B-But... Something like this, on her? "Hey, c'mon," Lisbeth tried to push the gift back at Kirito. "There's no way this would look good on me..."

"What are you talking about?" he said. "Of course it'll look good on a cute girl like you, Liz."

Cute girl like - Lisbeth felt her face erupt into flame, the blush spreading from the base of her neck to the top of her head. A... A cute girl like her? He thought she was cute? That was the first time anyone had ever said that... "I-I-I..." she stammered. After a second, she managed to get her tongue to untie the knot it'd found itself in, and she brought the necklace up to her neck. Her fingers felt a little numb and she fumbled with the clasp for a second before managing to get it in place. "How... does it look?" she asked, almost shyly, glancing at the other girls.

Asuna and Leafa were giving Kirito a firm stare, but at her question they turned to look at Lisbeth. "It looks great, Liz," Asuna said kindly.

"Nya hah hah!" Argo laughed. "Really, fer bein' a guy Kii-boy has pretty good taste when it comes ta jewelry, huh?"

"Argo," Kirito protested. "She's the one who picked it out. I just saw how much she liked it, and wanted to get Liz something nice. She deserves it."

Oh... Lisbeth suddenly realized why Asuna and Leafa, and maybe Argo too, had such blatant crushes on Kirito. If he could say something like that so easily, without even thinking twice... How could she _not_ fall for him? "Thank you," she said, smiling at Kirito. So, maybe she was blushing a little bit, her cheeks felt a little hot, but that was okay, right? Because she was cute, right? Kirito said so. "It's great. I really love it."

After that, Lisbeth kept catching herself fiddling with the pendent around her neck while the other girls got their presents from Kirito. Leafa received a cute red scarf, and she promised to wear it the next time they went out; Argo unwrapped a few books to read and some notebooks to write in for her work, something she rewarded Kirito for with a big hug and a cheek nuzzle; Silica got a pair of hair ties, little red baubles that she immediately swapped with the plainer ones she had been wearing; and Asuna got a lovely, wooden-handled hairbrush that she immediately fell in love with at first sight. He really _did_ have good taste when it came to presents, huh?

At some point during the evening, Kirito had shifted over to one of the couches for easier present-delivering. As such, the chair was empty and the couches were clustered. It was late, and everyone was starting to get tired; Lisbeth watched, holding her breath, as Silica's head nodded and drooped repeatedly, like the small girl was trying desperately to stay awake even when her body was refusing. And then, inevitably, she lost the battle and drifted sideways, landing against Kirito's shoulder as she fell asleep.

Lisbeth smiled as she watched their youngest member's shoulders rise and fall with the rhythmic breathing of sleep. When she was interrupted by a huge yawn of her own, she rubbed at her eyes and realized that she was exhausted herself. Well, her sleepy mind supplied, Kirito's _other_ shoulder was available... Before she realized it, she was leaning against her guild leader's shoulder and feeling totally, incredibly comfortable. Yeah, sure, she'll just rest her eyes for a few seconds, she figured.

* * *

Asuna smiled as she looked at the other couch. Kirito was sitting in the center, fast asleep - before her, for once. On his left, Silica was slumped against his side, all but drooling on his chest; and on his right, Lisbeth's head was resting on his shoulder peacefully. The blacksmith had one of the most contented smiles she'd ever seen, one hand lightly gripping at the pendent around her neck. Kirito really was good at figuring out what would make people happy, wasn't he?

"Everyone else is asleep, A-chan," Argo said quietly. "Should we start movin' 'em up ta bed?"

Asuna looked over to where Leafa had fallen asleep against her side and smiled, gently patting the girl's hair. She was almost like a sister to the long-haired girl, cherished as though she was her own family. "That's not a bad idea," she said. It was a good thing that they could pick each other up without triggering the Security Code... "I'll take Sugu to bed. Can you handle Silica and Lisbeth?"

"Sure thing. Rock paper scissors for Kii-boy?" Argo grinned wider. "Or are ya pullin' rank, Miss Second-in-Command?"

Asuna raised a delicate eyebrow, doing her best to hide the blush creeping up her neck by using all of the skills she'd practiced as her mother's daughter and showing Argo exactly how unimpressed she was by the comment. "You hold equal rank as me in this guild, Argo," she reminded her archly. "And the 'rank' is mostly a formality in the first place."

"Nya hah hah! I was talkin' about yer best frien' status, A-chan," Argo said with a snicker. "Don't worry, I'll leave yer boytoy to ya. Don't do anythin' I wouldn't do~... Or maybe anythin' the Ethics Code prevents, yeah?"

Asuna shook her head as the Rat tucked Silica under her arm and started heading upstairs. It looked a little ridiculous, the short girl carrying a girl her size like a sack of potatoes, but Argo didn't even seem to be winded. A perk of being high-level, she knew. Either way, the info broker was an incorrigible tease, always poking at Asuna or Kirito.

On the other hand, Asuna mused as she carried Leafa upstairs and laid her down on the bed, she _did_ say that she was going to let Asuna bring Kirito upstairs, which meant that she'd get to hold him in her arms and pick him up, cradling him close, and -

"No, no, focus, Asuna," she muttered, smacking her cheeks a few times to make the traitors stop blushing. "Focus."

"Mm… Kazuto…" Leafa murmured in her sleep, curling up and hugging her pillow. Asuna wondered what she was dreaming about, with the smile on her face. "…I do…"

Once she tucked Leafa into bed, she headed back downstairs, passing Argo as the info broker brought Lisbeth upstairs. Unlike Silica, she'd just thrown the blacksmith's arm over her shoulder and was supporting the girl as they went upstairs; a sleepy 'g'night' came from the freckled girl, and Asuna whispered a reply. She must have just been dozing against Kirito, then.

When she reached the living room, Kirito was lying down on the couch. She just took a second to watch his peaceful face, the way the slight tension in his face melted away in his sleep. It was always a treasure to see this sight; he went to bed after her even in the real world, and even on the rare occasions when she'd wake up before the Kirigaya siblings started their morning kendo practice, she was too sleepy to really appreciate what she was seeing.

"Thank you," she whispered, putting everything she was grateful for in the two simple words. "Kazuto..." She reached out with a hand and gently touched his cheek.

When he stirred at the touch, eyes fluttering, she snatched her hand back like she'd been burned. She wasn't _embarrassed_ to touch her best friend like that, it was just... It was just weird since he was asleep! Y-Yeah, that was it. Definitely not because he'd almost caught her. "Mm... Oh, is everyone gone?" Kirito murmured. "Bed, then?"

"Mm-hmm," Asuna said quietly, smiling as he sat up. "Let's head up to bed, sleepy-head."

The two gamers went upstairs, hesitating at the landing. "Night, Asuna." With a yawn, Kirito waved sleepily before turning to the left and heading for his bed.

"Good night, Kazuto. See you tomorrow."

As Asuna got in bed, curling up next to the sleeping Leafa, she smiled happily. This, without a doubt, was the most fun Christmas she'd ever had.

* * *

 **Another one bites the dust… Kirito has captured another girl for his harem. Whoops, he's accidentally a lady-killer…**

 **Most of Lisbeth's scenes in this chapter were indirectly inspired by scenes from Hollow Fragment. I knew I wanted to do a Christmas present scene, and tried to figure out what each girl would get, settling on the presents described in the chapter. Liz's, though, sparked an idea in me, and it spiraled into her going shopping with the idiot and then scolding him for being obsessed with numbers (like in the game). Either way, she's now fallen for him because of what he said so easily.**

 **I imagine Liz, in this version, is like super tomboy-ish but also kinda sensitive about the subject. Like, the type to just flop down on the bed heedless of the fact she's wearing a skirt, and then get upset Kirito saw her panties (for example, this probably won't happen in the story. But if it does…) even though she's in love with him.**

 **Other than that, we have the Moonlit Black Cats showing up. My favorite sacrificial lambs~… How shall I kill them off this time, I wonder? They're moving a little faster, and Sachi's a little braver, thanks to the classes Kirito taught. Of course, they still make bad decisions. It's almost like their stock-in-trade.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

 **February 6th, 2023**

"Oh wow... He looks adorable!"

"Kazuto always looks like this when he's asleep, Liz. I always got up early just to watch him for a few minutes before we started kendo."

"No fair, Leafa, that's cheating! I wish I was his little sister too..."

"Silica, can ya move, I need a good angle... Man, Kii-boy's dangerous even when he's asleep, isn't he, A-chan?"

"H-How would I know? A-and what exactly do you mean by dangerous, Argo?!"

Kirito slowly stirred, waking up a little bit at a time. He'd stayed up late the night before, so not only was he waking up later than usual, he was still tired. With a muted grumble at the unintelligible noise around him, he rolled over and shifted. His bed was really uncomfortable... "Shh, he's waking up," a girl - Lisbeth? - whispered.

Why was his bed so uncomfortable? It was a nice one, nicer than the inn beds at any rate. The blanket covering him was soft, but not as warm as his usual one, and it felt like something was pressing against his back... Oh, that's right, Kirito remembered as his bleary mind supplied the memories of the previous night, he was so tired that he just fell asleep on the couch after handling the items they got from their dungeon run... He had to make sure he didn't do that again, no matter how tired he was. The couch was great for a nap or two, but it seemed that sleeping on it all night wasn't conducive to a good night's rest.

As his eyes opened, he sat up - to blink in surprise as four of the five girls in his guild stared at him. For some reason, everyone except for Argo had gathered around the couch. The info broker, meanwhile, was darting through the door that led out of the living room into the hallway, clutching something to her chest. "Um... Good morning?" he offered.

"Morning, Kazuto," Leafa chirped.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Nope," his little sister said cheerfully. As if that was some sort of sign, the girls all split up, going about their usual morning routines. Silica sat down on one of the other couches and started playing with her hair, putting it back up into her usual twin-tails, while Asuna and Lisbeth disappeared into the kitchen to start on breakfast. Leafa headed out the door, probably to start with her morning kendo practice before the guild went out on their front-line activities.

Kirito watched it all happen with a bemused expression, scratching his head. "That was weird," he muttered under his breath before standing up and stretching. "Hey Asuna, how long until breakfast?"

Instead of Asuna, Lisbeth was the one to call out the reply. "Long enough for you to go wash your face and wake up properly, Kirito!"

Kirito nodded and headed off to the bathroom. It had been one of the requirements the girls set down for purchasing their guild house, so the bath and shower were both very high quality. Since it was early in the morning, Kirito just splashed some cold water on his face and exhaled, fully alert. Once he'd wiped off the water, he glanced down at his shirt. It was still the sleep shirt that he wore as pajamas, so he went ahead and opened up his menu to get changed.

Immediately after he unequipped the shirt, though, something in his senses pinged and Kirito reacted without thinking. In this death game, it was important to develop a sixth sense, of sorts; it wasn't officially a Skill registered by the game, but perhaps a sense of being watched. Kirito didn't know quite how to describe it, but it let him react just that crucial instant faster when mobs ambushed them. Those same senses that warned him something was watching had acted again.

When Kirito slammed the door to the bathroom open without warning, Argo was caught red-handed, holding a Recording Crystal up to the thin crack in the door. "Nya hah hah..." Argo laughed sheepishly as Kirito glowered down at her, cheeks burning with embarrassment that she'd been peeking in on him. At least he hadn't been taking a shower... "Whoops?"

Her peace offering was rejected out of hand, especially when she snatched the Recording Crystal away when he tried to grab for it. Argo took a step away, her high AGI stat keeping her prize out of Kirito's hands, and the two of them stared at each other, bodies tense and prepared to explode into motion at any instant.

...

"Get back here! Argo!"

"Can't catch me!" Cackling madly, Argo fled through the hallways. Kirito chased after her desperately, several times close to being able to catch the Rat but his prey slipping from his grasp at the last second every time. His attempts kept getting closer and closer, though, and Argo's eyes darted nervously. "H-Hey, Kii-boy, let's calm down and talk about this!"

"Give me the crystal and we'll talk!"

"No way!"

As the pair of them ran into the living room, Argo darted across the room and jumped, clearing the couch with a single leap. Kirito didn't expect her to do something like that, so he had to screech to a halt and run around the couch. It bought Argo just enough time to increase the lead by another few body lengths. "What's going on - Argo?! Kazuto?!" Asuna exclaimed as she came out of the kitchen. Something smelled delicious, Kirito noted absently.

Argo's eyes widened as she nearly crashed into Asuna. "Waah! A-chan, outta the way!" Before Argo could get her speed back up, though, Kirito closed the gap and lunged. Asuna managed to step away, gasping in surprise as the black-haired boy tackled Argo to the ground. The info broker didn't lose the fight immediately though, twisting and writhing to get away from Kirito. He nearly lost the battle when she kicked her legs in a way he wasn't expecting, nearly unseating him, but he managed to keep his balance and tighten his grip.

The scuffle finally ended when Kirito had Argo on her back, his hands pinning her wrists above her head. He straddled her body, keeping her in place as he leaned over, their foreheads nearly touching. Both players were red-faced and panting from the sudden exertion, trying to catch their breath. "Nya hah hah... Ya got me, Kii-boy," Argo managed to laugh.

"Argo," Kirito said, before pausing to catch his breath. "Hand it over."

Argo grimaced. "Yer not gonna let me up until I do, huh?"

"Nope."

"Fine," the info broker sighed. "Here... Eh?"

Kirito looked at her hands clearly for the first time. Since his focus had been on her face, he hadn't noticed until just now, but the hands that had been cradling the Recording Crystal like it had been the most valuable treasure in the world were empty. Kirito looked back down at Argo, but she seemed just as confused as he felt. She'd expected the crystal to be in her hands too, then, Kirito reasoned. She hadn't hidden it while he was chasing her. So then where was...

A quartet of gasps echoed abruptly. Another chill ran down Kirito's spine, and he slowly turned his head to the side. Sure enough, the Recording Crystal was in the hands of Leafa, and his little sister had opened it up to view the treasure trove of images. Hovering in the air, and the reason for the gasps, were images upon images of Kirito, taken in secrecy by Argo. Pictures of him eating, yawning, smiling and laughing with Asuna, training with Leafa, watching Lisbeth forge a sword for him, walking with Silica... Even a few selfies Argo had snuck in there without him noticing. The most recent image, and the one that had all four of the girls enraptured, was the image of Kirito from only a few minutes ago, shirtless in the bathroom with droplets of water in his hair.

Kirito abruptly realized, as the girls all turned to look at him, that he was _still_ shirtless.

Leafa choked, slapping a hand over her nose. Asuna's hand dropped to cover Silica's eyes even as she turned her head away, the younger girl making an annoyed sound. Lisbeth, for her part, stared at the sight in front of them before abruptly spinning around. All four of them were blushing bright red.

Kirito felt his cheeks burn. He let go of Argo's wrists and buried his face in his hands. He can never get married now...

It wasn't until Argo patted his shoulder and smirked up at him that he realized he'd said the words out loud in a despair-filled moan. "It's okay, Kii-boy," she said in a kind, cheerful tone totally at odds with her teasing expression. "I'll still take ya!" Kirito didn't have any words to reply to that. He did, however, realize that Argo was now free; before he could pin her down again, she wriggled free with a squirm and shimmy and darted over to snatch up the Recording Crystal.

Silently, Kirito swiped open his menu and equipped a shirt before standing up. He... was pretty sure he heard _one_ of the girls let out a quiet mewl of disappointment, but for the sake of his sanity he decided he didn't actually want to think about which one it could have been. "Argo," he said with a deceptively calm voice, "how much does it cost for you to destroy that Recording Crystal and any backups you've made?"

"A favor," Argo purred with a sly grin, after spending a second to pretend to think about what her price would be. Kirito wasn't fooled; he knew she'd decided the instant he opened his mouth. "Redeemable fer anythin' I want."

"Deal," he replied instantly. The info broker's smile widened into a smirk, but she obligingly handed over the crystal. Besides, how bad could her request be? He still had that favor she owed him from the first Floor, come to think of it. If she asked for anything _too_ far over the line, he'd be able to counter the favor with that.

* * *

 **February 11th, 2023**

Sachi gripped the haft of her spear as the Moonlit Black Cats stared at the entrance to the dungeon. There was something about the almost-stale air that made a shiver run down her spine, an ominous feeling making her uneasy. "Are you sure this is the place?" Ducker asked Keita.

Keita nodded, holding up the map they'd been following. "We followed the directions perfectly," he reminded the boy in yellow. "And this should be the dungeon that info broker talked about."

"Alright, Leader, if you're sure," Ducker said. Sachi couldn't help but notice that he was shifting his weight back and forth, drumming his fingers on the handle of his dagger. She'd known him for a few years by this point, and he would always fidget when he was uncertain... But like her, he was going to put his trust in Keita and the info broker that had sold them the information about the dungeon.

It was, supposedly, a great place for treasure and experience; according to the information, the enemies were easy-to-kill metallic golems and dark dwarves, and their drops sold for a lot of col. It would be a great way for them to get the col they needed to buy a guild house, one of the Moonlit Black Cats' biggest dreams. The Royal Blades had been a source of inspiration for them, and meeting the guild leader, Kirito the Prince, and Leafa the Emerald Knight on Christmas Eve had lit a fire under them. They were doing their best, of course, but things were still slow - until a hooded info broker approached Keita and Sasamaru while the two of them were out buying more potions. If the information was right, they could run this dungeon a bunch of times until they had leveled up a few times.

Sachi wasn't quite sure how much she trusted the nameless info broker, especially since Keita and Sasamaru couldn't say what his face looked like, but she hadn't wanted to spend the col to get Argo the Rat to confirm the rumor. It seemed that the dungeon was in the right place, so maybe the ominous feeling was just her nerves acting up. She took a deep breath and reminded herself of what Kirito had taught her at those public lessons on the first Floor, and what he'd told her when they met face to face in the Floor 12 forest.

'It's okay to be afraid. Nobody's fearless. Just make sure you don't let it paralyze you, okay? I'm sure you guys will really help out the front lines, so do your best, okay?'

After Keita confirmed that everyone was fully stocked up on potions, the Moonlit Black Cats delved into the dungeon. The overlapping metallic panels on the wall were a little strange, especially since they weren't a uniform size, but Sachi learned to let it wash off her back pretty quickly. After all, they were in a dungeon; if it weren't trying to kill them, it wasn't really all that important. Plus, the soft blue lighting was a little pretty, even.

And the monsters they fought were, like the info said, the metallic Stone Elementals and the squat Dark Dwarf Miners. The Stone Elementals were tall and thin, with crude rock-like bodies that looked like parts had been carved off at random; they didn't have faces, and they attacked with their long arms instead of using a weapon. The Dark Dwarf Miners were short and ugly, with long white beards and beady red eyes. They carried around pickaxes, and a few even had tiny lamps to use for light.

The Stone Elementals, though massive and capable of doing a lot of damage at once, were actually pretty easy for Sachi to deal with. She was still scared, yes, and used her spear to keep the mobs away from her and pierce the glowing cores acting as their joints. It limited the moves that the mob could unleash, as well as shutting off the most damaging and dangerous move, the ground smash that dealt damage in a close AoE around the body. Since the boys were all close-range fighters, the only ones that _wouldn't_ get hit by that attack were Sachi and anyone that had backed off to heal. Of course, thanks to Sachi and her spear, that wasn't a problem at all, and the golems would fall with little problem.

On the other hand, the Dark Dwarf Miners were the most dangerous to her, with their small form and dangerous pickaxes. A lot of her Sword Skills would pass right over their heads, unfortunately, and trying to swipe at them one at a time didn't do enough damage to keep them away. Thankfully, the boys were on top of things, and after the first few clashes they learned to keep the Dwarf Miners at bay, acting as a guard for Sachi with their melee weapons.

"This is going pretty well," Tetsuo said as he blocked a Dark Dwarf Miner's pickaxe with his shield before smashing it into the ground with a heavy swing from his mace. "Guess that guy's info was right, Keita!"

Keita swung his sword at the Dark Dwarf Miner trying to get past him and attack Sachi, leaving a red slash. The mob let out an angry grunt and tried to attack him in revenge, but Ducker plunged his dagger into its side before it could do more than raise its weapon. "According to him, it's this easy the whole way down," Keita said once the mobs had been destroyed. "We're making good time, so we should be able to clear the dungeon today! Sachi, Sasamaru, you two okay?"

The spear-user and two-handed sword user both nodded. "We're good," Sasamaru said. "These enemies haven't been too hard."

"Onward!" Ducker cheered, pointing his dagger in a random direction.

Clearing out the rest of the first floor of the dungeon was pretty easy, and the Moonlit Black Cats were full of energy as they descended the stairs. The second floor didn't feel any different, and they started making their way through the dungeon. Tetsuo and Keita were starting to get sloppy as they entered rooms, but every single one of the square rooms were empty. Sachi wondered if it was supposed to be that way, or if another party had come through and beaten them to the punch. Regardless, they made good time as they explored, collecting treasure chests and mapping it out.

Abruptly, Ducker stopped by the wall. "Hey, check it out!" he said excitedly, pressing at the wall. "A secret room!" Little squares in the wall slid in under his touch before the entire wall shuddered and slid back, moving chunks at a time. "Whoa, no way! A treasure chest!"

Sachi peered over Sasamaru's shoulder as the Moonlit Black Cats all entered the secret room Ducker had discovered. It was totally empty aside from a single wooden treasure chest sitting innocently in the center of the room. Something seemed a little suspicious about the way it was just... there. Ducker didn't seem to share her misgivings, however, and the yellow-wearing thief knelt down to start fiddling with the chest. "Um... W-what if it's -"

"Got it!" Ducker cheered, popping the lid open. "Huh? Sachi? Were you saying something?"

Sachi shook her head. "I was going to ask if the chest was a trap... but I guess it wasn't, so..."

"Good thinking, Sachi," Keita told her warmly. "Ducker, you have to be careful, okay? What if it _had_ been a trap, and summoned monsters or something?"

Ducker grinned. "Ah, it's fine, Leader, we could just use those Teleport Crystals we have saved for emergencies. Plus, check it out!" He reached into the chest and held up blue crystals, with silver filigree at the base. "More of 'em, just sitting right here!"

"That'll save us some money," Sasamaru said. "They're pretty expensive, so getting five for free is a good reward. Good find, Ducker."

"Haha, you know it! That's why I'm the treasure hunter!"

Sachi felt a small coil of worry in her stomach unwind. She had been worried for nothing after all... "Should we... finish the dungeon, then?" she suggested shyly. "We're not tired... right?"

Tetsuo grinned at her, smacking his armor playfully. "I'm good to go, Sachi. Don't worry, I'll make sure no monsters get near you!" Sachi smiled at him, glad her friend was concerned for her safety. Keita and Sasamaru jostled him, lightly ribbing him about his 'gallantry', while Ducker snooped around the room just in case there was a secret room attached to the secret room. He gave up when nothing else opened up and rejoined the party.

As they walked out of the treasure room, Ducker frowned. "Hey, does anyone else hear that...?" The Moonlit Black Cats fell silent, standing still and straining to hear. Sachi knew Ducker's Listening Skill was higher than the rest of theirs, so she wasn't surprised that he'd picked up a noise first. But what was he hearing...?

 _Krrrr krrrr krrrr_

Sachi's eyes opened as she finally heard the sound of stone grinding against the floor of the dungeon. It was the sounds they'd been hearing on the first floor. "That's a Stone Elemental," Tetsuo said. "Guess the mobs finally showed up."

"Let's get them, you guys," Keita said, drawing his sword and shield. "We're gonna clear this dungeon today, and then celebrate with a huge dinner at the inn, okay?"

"Yeah!" Sasamaru, Ducker, and Tetsuo cheered, taking their usual formation. Sachi let out a little giggle at Keita's exuberance, and he glanced over his shoulder to grin at her.

The Stone Elemental approached slowly, the grinding sound becoming clearer and clearer before it finally appeared in front of them. With shouts, the boys lunged forward, springing into action; Sachi hesitated an instant before following after them, trying her best to ignore the fear that bloomed in her chest whenever they were about to enter combat. It's okay to be afraid, she reminded herself. Her spear thrust forward, smashing into the core of the Stone Elemental, exactly like all the others.

Instead of being stunned, the Stone Elemental kept moving, and Sachi realized it must be a higher level because they went down a floor. Still, it didn't seem to make a difference, because the mob still just raised a heavy arm and prepared to swat at the tanks in front of them. Tetsuo raised his shield, meeting the blow with a confident grin -

The heavy smash sent Tetsuo flying, slamming him into the wall almost effortlessly. "Tetsuo!" Keita shouted, head turning to follow where his friend had fallen to the floor. "Wait... This isn't a Stone Elemental! It's a Granite Elemental!"

"What!" Ducker exclaimed, before jumping away from another heavy swipe from the enemy. "Oh crap! Look at its cursor!"

Sure enough, when Sachi looked at the cursor hovering over the mob's head, it was a deep, sullen red color. This enemy was _way_ out of their league. "We have to get out of here!" Sasamaru shouted, sheathing his spear across his back and helping Tetsuo to his feet. "Just run!"

The Moonlit Black Cats had learned their lesson about fighting enemies that were too tough. Without hesitation, they all turned tail and ran, not looking back at the Granite Elemental. Sure, it was a little embarrassing, but Sachi would rather lose the fight than lose her life. As they ran, trying to remember which turns were which - it really was a good thing that they'd been mapping out the dungeon the whole time, and that the Granite Elementals were really slow-moving - Ducker shouted, "Didn't that info broker say the whole dungeon was easy?!"

"Maybe it was that chest!" Tetsuo exclaimed.

"No way, it wasn't trapped!" he protested. "The info has to be wrong!"

Sachi was pretty sure Ducker was right. There hadn't been any sign of anything wrong, after all. They were in the gamer club in their middle school, so they knew that the game had to be fair; if it had triggered a trap, there would have been at least _some_ sort of signal. So that meant that the enemies were just supposed to be this strong! The info broker was wrong, or lying, or something!

More heavy thuds and _krrrr_ sounds echoed in front of them, and as the Black Cats rounded the corner into an intersection they were greeted by a wall of Granite Elementals. "Nope nope nope other way OTHER WAY!" Ducker yelped, and they all scrambled to turn around and head down the other path. It was extra-long, and had a lot of places more monsters could ambush them, but it did lead to the stairs up.

Their conversations died away as they started saving their breath for running. Sachi was already starting to feel winded, and knew she was slowing down. Keita glanced back over his shoulder at the party, and then stopped right outside one of the empty rooms they'd checked earlier. "In here, quick!" he hissed. The others didn't need to be told twice, they just darted inside. Keita was the last one in, and as he passed through the door slid closed behind him.

They collapsed, some of them sliding down to the floor leaning against the wall. Sachi just sat down on the floor, too tired to even care all that much. "Haah... Haah..." Sasamaru gasped. "You think we can... hide in here?"

"Maybe," Tetsuo replied as he panted, catching his breath. "I don't think... they use sight, though."

Her legs were burning. Why did they burn, this was a virtual world, her legs shouldn't be burning just because of a five-minute mad dash for safety. Sachi mentally called Akihiko Kayaba rude names in her head. Oh, she just really wanted to just _leave_ this place and... "Um, guys?"

Keita looked over. "Yeah, Sachi?"

"Why don't we use those Teleport Crystals we found?"

The four of them stared at her silently, and she fidgeted a little bit. Eventually, they just started laughing sheepishly, faces a little red. "Because we all panicked and didn't think about it until you said something," Ducker said through his chuckles. "See, guys? This is why Sachi's the best."

"I-I'm not, I'm not..." she protested, waving her hands in front of her sheepishly. "I just thought of it first, that's all."

"Let's get out of here, and we can figure out why Sachi's the best later," Tetsuo said. Sachi just blushed in embarrassment.

Each of them pulled a Teleport Crystal out of their inventory and held it up, shouting out the name of the town their home base was in. Of course, it wasn't _really_ a home base, just an inn they were using, but they were saving up! When the light faded from their sight, they were standing safely in the town. The dungeon was left far behind.

"We made it!" Ducker sighed. "It sucks we had to use the crystals, but better that than dying, right?" He folded his arms behind his head, but Sachi could tell he was still a little shaken from their close call. She'd know them for a few years, by this point; Sachi could pick things out like that.

"I think we need to have a chat with that information seller," Sasamaru said darkly. "Their bad info almost got us killed!"

"Let's have dinner first," Keita said, "and calm down a bit. Then we can figure out what to do from there."

After getting a late dinner from their inn, tempers cooled a little bit, and the boys agreed that maybe going and confronting the info broker might not be the best option, something that made Sachi sigh in relief. She didn't want to get in a fight... Though none of them could figure out exactly what they should do. It wasn't like they were a front-line guild or anything, so they didn't have any contacts they could talk to. How should they let someone know that - "Ah," Sachi breathed as she realized something.

"Sachi?" Tetsuo asked her.

"We can tell the Royal Blades!" She smiled and clenched her fists in front of her chest. "Argo the Rat is part of their guild, right? So she'll know what to do."

"Ahahaha!" Ducker laughed. "That's two for two on solving our problems, Sachi! Leader, watch out, we might just give her _your_ job."

Sachi whirled on Keita in a panic and assured him that she didn't want his job, she was just trying to solve the problem, but their guild leader just laughed at the joke. "I'll get in touch with Kirito, let him know what happened," he said. "You guys, go sell off the vendor trash we picked up along the way."

The Moonlit Black Cats chorused an agreement and stood up to head out. After selling everything they didn't want or need, the four members of the guild made their way back to the inn. "We're back," Sasamaru called out as they entered the boys' room. "Keita, did you message the Royal Blades?"

"I did," the red-wearing boy replied. "He said that he wants us to come explain things in person. I was going to go as soon as you all got back, does anyone want to come?"

"I'll go," Sachi said, raising her hand. They all looked at her. "...If that's okay?" It would be nice to talk to some of the other girls, she thought privately. It was nice being with her friends, but she _did_ miss having some real girl talk at times.

Keita smiled at her. "Sure, that works," he said.

"Eh, I'm tired anyway," Tetsuo said. "It'll be nice to get some rest before we go to that meeting, after that dungeon run. Have fun, you two."

Sasamaru waved as well, and Ducker gave the pair a grin before saying something under his breath. Sachi could only hear "...Leader..." Well, it probably wasn't important; he wasn't the type to just keep quiet about something big, after all, Sachi knew.

"Sachi? They're waiting for us on Floor 8," Keita said. "Ready to go?"

"Coming," Sachi called, hurrying to follow Keita.

* * *

"...And then we escaped using Teleport Crystals," Keita said. "We made it out, but there was _no_ way the enemies on the second floor were on the same level as the first.

Argo sighed, folding her arms across her chest. This sucked, this sucked, this sucked! An info broker sold bad information, either on purpose or because they were too lazy to confirm it, and a guild nearly got killed because of it. "Thankies fer lettin' us know," she sighed, sliding some coins over to the two players from the Black Cats. Keita accepted them with a slightly confused look on his face. "We'll look into it an' figure out what's goin' on."

"I'm glad you're all okay," Kirito said. The two of them were meeting the Moonlit Black Cats at a nice coffee shop near their house, in order to hear about whatever had happened. Argo took a sip of her tea, before wrinkling her nose at it. Yeah, she liked this place's coffee better. Or maybe hot chocolate. Though basically anything Asuna made trumped this, come to think of it. "That must have been scary."

Argo glanced at Kirito, and then at the sympathetic way he'd placed a hand over Sachi's. "Hey, Kii-boy, no flirtin'," she muttered, nudging him with an elbow. "A-chan and Leafa won't be happy with ya."

Kirito flinched, tugging his hand away. Argo snickered at the blush on his cheeks. "I-I wasn't," he said hurriedly. Sachi giggled a little sheepishly. "Anyway," he coughed, "Keita, Sachi, like Argo said, thank you for telling us about this."

The two mid-liners nodded as they stood up and said their goodbyes before heading out. Once they were gone, Argo folded her arms and laid her head down on the table, groaning. "This sucks," she muttered. "Bad info, huh?"

Kirito sipped at his tea before wrinkling his nose. She _knew_ she should have purchased the coffee, even Kirito didn't like the tea! "That's not good," he said.

"Understatement of th' century, Kii-boy. If news gets out..." Argo shrugged, a short abortive gesture. It felt weird, since she was sprawled out over the table. "We gotta get on top of this, y'know."

"I know you'll figure it out," he said, smiling warmly at her. Argo let out an unladylike snort before sitting up.

"Well, I can't right now," she said with a sigh. "Liz an' I got ta go recruitin'." Kirito's shoulders fell as she mentioned her next stop, and Argo rolled her eyes. "I _know_ ya don't like it, but we need to get some more members. 'Specially with how much time the front lines are takin' these days."

"I know," Kirito sighed. "It's just... It feels like the Royal Blades should just be _us_ , you know?"

Argo shrugged. "The circle will still be us. 'S not like we're headin' anywhere, Kii-boy, yer not _that_ lucky."

"I'd never consider myself lucky if it meant being away from you, Argo."

Argo twitched, her smile going a little weak before she tugged her hood over her head. Seriously, did Kirito _have_ to say things like that? Jeez... "See ya later, Kii-boy," she said, rising from her chair and making sure to keep her hood turned away from him. "Show up in a lil' bit, okay? The newbies will wanna see their pretty-boy guild leader, yeah?"

"Don't call me that," Kirito sighed as she pushed the door to the coffee shop open, the cheerful jingle of a bell heralding her exit.

"Nya hah hah!"

...

The coliseum in Tolbana. It almost felt a little weird for Argo to be back here; the last time she was standing in this place, she was watching the clearers prepare to go fight Illfang. Diavel was standing down _there_ , at the center of the amphitheater, speaking to everyone; the players that would make up the ALS and DKB guilds' core members were sitting _there_ , in the rows of bleachers; and Kirito, Asuna, and Leafa were sitting up near the top, separate from the rest. Argo herself had been standing in the shadows of the cracked pillar in her ratty brown hood, hiding just in case things went messy.

This time, though, the sparse bleachers were filled with players of all levels, since the Royal Blades had asked for anyone willing to show up. This time, Argo wasn't standing alone in the shadows; this time, she was sitting out in the open, perched on top of a cracked pillar. Lisbeth was standing by her side, surveying the players in front of them. Both girls were wearing their 'dress uniforms', the stylized black clothes with gold trim that everyone in the guild owned and used for public appearances where they needed to be recognized.

"Why am I here, again?" Lisbeth asked, fidgeting uneasily and tugging at the hem of her skirt. It looked good on her, Argo thought idly.

"'Cause yer pretty an' easy ta talk to," Argo answered flippantly. The hood of her black and gold cloak was comfortable, but she had it down for the time being.

Lisbeth let out a quiet huff. "Argo, seriously."

Argo glanced over at the blacksmith. Hm, she still wasn't used to seeing the blacksmith with her new pink hair. Apparently, Asuna and Lisbeth had discussed a new look, and the pink hair was part one. It looked cute, too~. It was a nice addition to their look. "I was," she replied. "Yer easy ta talk to, so all I need ya to do is mingle wit' the hopefuls. Yer a smart girl," she continued, patting Lisbeth on the shoulder a few times. "You'll be able ta tell which ones are here 'cause they wanna help."

"If you say so, Argo," Lisbeth replied dubiously. "I'll do my best."

"All we can ask for, Liz~."

Lisbeth's pink hair was pretty easy to track from where Argo perched on top of the pillar. The blacksmith moved and flowed through the crowd, pausing to chat every now and then. Argo smiled faintly as she watched. Still, a job was a job, and she couldn't just sit and do nothing the whole time, no matter how much fun it would be.

She was pretty good at people-watching, a skill she'd sorta developed through trial and error during her time as an info broker. Well, it was also probably something she'd started developing in school; who cared about the material, who only wanted to talk to their friends, who had a crush on whom... Here, though, it was far more useful in terms of gathering information she wanted to know. The group of players in good armor, off to the side, they were more interested in the appearance of belonging to RB than actually helping out. Even without Lisbeth talking to them, Argo mentally checked them off of her list.

And then there's the group hanging around the edge of the amphitheater, Argo noticed. They kept glancing back at the edge, like they really didn't want to be there, they were just there because they'd look bad if they didn't show up. Check went her little checklist, disregarding them in an instant. There were a few people in the crowd that Argo made special note of; if they decided to join the guild, she'd snag them for herself, since they'd go well in her little network of informants. Glancing to the left, at where Lisbeth was wandering through the crowd, Argo examined the -

"Aw, crap," she muttered, before swiping open her menu and sending off an emergency message. "Kii-boy, you better get here soon," she said to herself, typing it out. "...Also, bring Silica," she added in a separate message.

This could get a little bit messy, maybe. Argo clicked her tongue and hopped off her perch to wait for Kirito to show up. Ah, man... Why did all those kids from the orphanage have to show up?

* * *

Kirito wasn't quite sure what problem made Argo panic like she did, but the message she sent him was definitely less composed than usual. She hadn't even bothered with capitalization or punctuation, which was a surprise when he opened the message. Still, he fetched Silica and the two of them headed down to Tolbana. Once he reached the amphitheater, Argo appeared at his side. "Ya made good time, Kii-boy," she said, a distinct note of relief in her voice. "Over there, to the left? See where Liz is?"

"I see her," he said. It wasn't hard to pick her bright pink hair out of the crowd of largely normal colors. "What am I looking... for..."

Silica brightened up even as Kirito's expression fell. "Ah! It's a few of my friends from the orphanage!" she said with a huge smile before running off to greet the people she knew. Three boys and one girl, all Silica's age or probably younger, were sitting together on the bench, talking in a small group.

Kirito scratched his cheek and sighed. "Well, it could be worse," he said for lack of anything better to say.

"If ya say so," Argo shrugged before slipping around the boy's form. "Gonna go head out an' do some closer inspection of my own, so have fun dealin' with this, Kii-boy~."

Kirito gave the mousy girl a dry look before shaking his head. "That girl..." She'll never change, Kirito knew. While she disappeared into the crowd, slipping through them pretty effortlessly, he circled around the outside, doing his best to stay out of view as much as possible. He was going to speak to the recruits later, which was why they'd gathered in the amphitheater, but if they caught sight of him too early he was worried they'd start crowding. Fortunately, he was able to get to the four kids without much issue.

Naturally, they started beaming and smiling as soon as he stepped down to join them with an easygoing wave. "Hi Kirito!" Silica chirped as she finished greeting her friends, turning around to grin at him.

"Hey there," he said. "How's everyone doing? Keeping up with your practice?"

"Yes, sir!" the kids chorused. He nodded with approval. The practice was helpful in raising their Skill level, even if they were only training against the weak boars fields outside the starting town.

Now that the niceties were out of the way, though, he had to get serious. "Alright, it's good to see you all," he said, "but why are you here? And does Sasha know?" Sasha was the university student that had formed the orphanage, paying out of her own pocket to make sure they were able to eat three meals a day. While he hadn't met her personally, Kirito had heard from Argo that she genuinely wanted the kids to stay safe and healthy.

"We're here because we want to help you!" one girl said earnestly. "You've done so much for us already, so this is our way of paying you back!"

Kirito blinked, a little surprised, before he folded his arms. "You didn't answer the second question," he said. He grew up with his little sister, they'd have to be a little cleverer than that to sneak something like _that_ by him. "Does Sasha know you're here?"

"Um..." One boy kicked the ground. "...Maybe?"

So... She had no idea, Kirito automatically translated. And was probably incredibly worried about the fact that what seemed like the entire orphanage had disappeared on her. Kirito hummed in thought. He didn't want to just flat-out deny the kids' good intentions, but at the same time he couldn't justify allowing them into the guild, even if the advertisement they'd put out in Argo's newspaper hadn't enforced any sort of level or skill requirement.

He glanced around and saw his savior before he ducked into the crowd and emerged a few seconds later, Lisbeth in tow. "Hey, Kirito, what's going on?" she asked, totally confused. Which was fair; he'd just spotted her, grabbed her arm, and told her, 'I need you.' Honestly, he was surprised she was even following him what with how little information he'd given her. "Th-this is a little fast, a-a-and what about Asuna, don't you..." She trailed off as he stopped in front of the children.

"Everyone, this is Lisbeth," he said. "She's the one who makes all our gear. But to do that, she needs materials like wood and ores. Things that we just don't have time to spend gathering, really."

Both Silica and Lisbeth looked at him, a little confusion showing on their face. He didn't let it phase him, of course, but he knew what he was saying was technically a lie. Every now and then, they'd spend a day farming mats if there was a good place nearby, and if they needed anything they had the funds to buy it. Still, this was the best way to discourage the kids. "If you do end up joining us, that'll be your job a lot of the time," he told the assembled kids. "We can't promise you'll be fighting much, unfortunately. It might not be exciting, but it's a very important job."

There. With that, Kirito thought, they would definitely give up - "Yeah!" "Okay!" "Anything to help out Kirito, right?" "Woo!"

Kirito stared at the cheering kids, speechless, and then turned to Lisbeth helplessly. "...They're your problem now," he said in a rush before hurrying away.

"Wha- Hey, Kirito!" the pink-haired blacksmith protested. "Don't just leave me here! You jerk!"

Well, they were her problem now. Kirito felt a _little_ bad about ditching the kids with Lisbeth and Silica, but it meant he was able to sneak away. When he made it back up to the edge of the amphitheater, he took a seat on one of the horizontal pillars to watch the players mill around. The whole people-watching was more Argo's thing than his, but he did enjoy the chance to take in just how many people had been inspired to help out by some of his actions. More people that were in danger because of him, but this was why he held those courses, earlier in the game. By this point, he'd been forced to stop - mostly because of how much time the Front Lines were taking up - but that was okay, enough players had learned that there had only been the kids the last few sessions.

"There he is," he suddenly heard Keita's voice say, before the boy called out louder, "Hello again, Kirito."

Kirito blinked in surprise as he turned around to see the whole Moonlit Black Cats guild standing behind him. "Oh, hey, what's up?" he asked, standing up to face them. "Did you forget something about the info broker?"

Keita shook his head. "Actually, it's not that. See, we saw the notice in Argo's newspaper this morning, and we were talking about it. You're recruiting, right?"

Kirito scratched the back of his head. "Well, kinda. This is mostly Argo and Asuna's idea? They said we needed a _few_ more players. Out of everyone here..." He scanned the crowd again. "We'll probably recruit a few of the higher-level players, just because we can't spend too much time training them. So... Why are _you_ guys here? You're already in a guild."

Ducker folded his arms behind his head and chuckled, while Tetsuo laughed weakly. "About that," Keita began, shifting a little bit. "...Is it okay if we join your guild too?"

"Uh?" Kirito asked.

Sachi leaned forward, eyes pleading. "Please, Kirito?" she asked. "We're doing our best, but we're just... too small. We can't catch up. And if we join your guild, then we'll be able to help!"

Kirito studied the five players, before sighing and shaking his head. "I don't like it," he said, and winced as their expressions fell. "You're all friends, right? And you made your guild because you wanted to stick together."

"Th-that's right," Sasamaru replied.

"So I'd feel pretty bad if I made you split up, just to join the Royal Blades," Kirito said, scratching his cheek. "So instead, why don't we just enter an alliance? It's not formal, of course, but I'm sure everyone is willing to lend a -"

"We'll do it!" Keita exclaimed, grinning as he extended a hand. Kirito shook it, and Keita sighed with relief. "Hah... We were all prepared to split up the group, too, but I guess that wasn't necessary at all."

Kirito laughed. "I'm glad it all worked out," he said, before he glanced over to the side. Argo was standing by the main stage, waving to him. "I think we're going to wrap up the recruitment pretty soon. You can stick around if you want, but you don't have to."

After all, he was just going to give a speech thanking them all for their time, and letting them know that they'd make a final decision soon; and then, after that, answering any questions the players had. It wasn't anything that the Black Cats needed to worry about, since they weren't joining the guild in the official sense.

"I-If it's okay, I'd like to stay," Sachi said.

"Well, if Sachi's staying, then so am I," Ducker said.

Keita grinned. "We'll all stick around," he said.

With a wave, Kirito headed off to make his way down the steps and towards the stage, equipping his fancy coat as he went. Time to be a guild leader, he thought as the assembled players cheered.

...

It was long past nighttime when the last player had finally asked their questions and left the amphitheater. Kirito let out a heavy sigh and took a seat on the edge of the stage. "That was exhausting," he said to Argo and Lisbeth as they joined him.

Lisbeth rubbed his back sympathetically while Argo snickered. "At least you didn't have to talk to all of them individually," the blacksmith grumbled. " _Thanks_ , Argo."

"Eh, ya did fine, Liz," the Rat replied airily. "An' it all worked out, didn' it?"

"...Maybe," Lisbeth grumbled.

Kirito looked up as someone approached the stage, and winced when he recognized Sasha. "Hi, Sasha," he said, waving a little bit. Argo and Lisbeth said goodbye, both girls yawning and rubbing at their eyes as they left.

The young woman smiled wearily at him as he stood up and stepped off of the stage to stop in front of her. "Hello, Kirito. Sorry it took so long to get here, but I didn't want to leave until the children had gone to sleep for the night."

"This is about the kids, isn't it? I swear, I had no idea they were coming," he said.

"I know," she said. She reached up and pulled off the glasses she wore, rubbing at them with the hem of her blue dress. Once she was satisfied, she put them back on. "But... you didn't turn them away, did you?"

"...No. But I promise you, I'm doing all I can to keep them out of danger," he told her. "They're working with Liz, gathering crafting materials from the low Floors."

Sasha looked at him, and then sighed. "They really look up to you, you know?" He nodded silently. "I guess that if it had to be anyone leading them, I'd want it to be you. Make sure they're safe," she told him.

"I will. I promise."

Sasha nodded again and turned to leave. Kirito yawned sleepily, rubbing at his eyes. He was _exhausted_... Giving a speech really took it out of him.

"Sasha," he called out. He blinked blearily but managed to keep himself from swaying back and forth.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," he said. "For understanding."

She smiled. It was a sad smile, but Kirito was just a bit too tired to understand why. "I just wish they didn't have to go out there," she told him. "They've been traumatized enough as it is. I want them to be able to just enjoy themselves, without risking their lives."

Kirito shook his head. "So do I," he sighed. "So do I." Still, he was pretty sure that they would have fun going out to the low-level areas, collecting materials. All the thrill of going out, without any of the real danger. Especially if he asked the Moonlit Black Cats to babysit for a few times.

He wasn't quite sure how long he sat there on that stage, but it was definitely past midnight before he snapped out of the half-doze he found himself in. Yawning widely, he staggered up the steps and made his way through the city, following a familiar path to the Teleport Gate in town. He called out the familiar name of their home city and suffered through the disorienting teleport before starting to make his way out of the main town and towards his home.

Kirito pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind him. "...Home," he 'called' out in a voice that was barely a whisper. Nobody answered him, of course. Kirito was so exhausted that it didn't even register to him. Heedless of whether or not anyone could see, he swiped open his menu and stripped off his clothes, spending a half-second bare before his finger could equip his pajamas. Something about what he'd just done struck him as slightly dangerous and strange, but he couldn't figure out exactly what. Eyes feeling dangerously heavy, Kirito leaned slightly against the railing as he went up the stairs and stumbled his way to his room, taking the first door on the left.

He didn't even bother turning on the light as he got into bed, slipping under the sheets. As he laid his head down on the pillow, though, he dimly realized something was... different.

Why was his bed so _warm_? ...And why did it smell so sweet?

* * *

 _"Here, Kirito, try this!" Silica offered him a bite of her crepe._

 _Naturally, he accepted. "Mm, it's really good," he told her. The chocolate drizzle tasted great, especially combined with the banana._

 _Silica giggled. "And now I get to try a bite of yours! Strawberry, right?"_

 _"Wait, Silica, don't -" Before he could jerk his own treat away, the young girl had leaned over and grabbed a bite of his. She blinked at him in confusion, before her face abruptly went bright red. Tears sprang to her eyes and she did a little dance in place, for some reason refusing to spit out the bite. "...It's not strawberry," he said. "It's just spicy."_

 _"Mm! Mm! Mm!" Eventually, Silica managed to swallow the bite of his spicy crepe. He hadn't_ thought _it was that spicy, but... Maybe she just wasn't used to spicy food._

 _The two of them were walking around on Floor 10; it had just opened up, so the Royal Blades were restocking their supplies. Leafa and Lisbeth had gone off to check the accessory shop in case there was anything good for their builds, and Asuna was out restocking potions while Argo sniffed about for quests and information. Naturally, that meant Kirito and Silica were wandering around when the young girl spotted a sweets shop and dragged Kirito over without hesitation._

 _It helped that even though it was early January, the tenth Floor was incredibly sunny. If the fourth Floor was a 'Water' Floor, then this was a 'Beach' Floor. As a result, it was warm enough that they could walk around and eat the crepes Silica insisted they buy without feeling cold at all._

 _"I tried to warn you," he said as Silica wiped at her eyes, sniffling._

 _"Why would you do that to sweets," the twin-tailed girl wailed. "That's so mean! Apologize to all the sweets in the world, Kirito!" Kirito just laughed and patted her head in apology._

* * *

 **February 12th, 2023**

Kirito opened his eyes slowly, the dream vanishing as he woke up. He stared at the ceiling, blinking slowly. It seemed a little _different_... He tried to rub at his eyes to clear the sleep from them, but for some reason his left arm wouldn't move. Everything was just so comfortable around him, he nearly drifted back off to sleep...

...Until he realized that he had a pillow under his head, as well on either side of him, pressed up against his left and his right. _That_ was definitely different. Plus, the air in the room smelled sweeter than it normally did. Almost like... it was a girls' room...

Almost dreading what he was about to see, Kirito looked to the right only to squarely meet an impish pair of brown eyes. "Mornin', Kii-boy," Argo chirped happily. Dressed in just her thin shirt and shorts that she wore to bed, at some point she'd slipped under his arm and snuggled up against his chest, sleeping on her side. She must have woken up before he had, Kirito realized, and been watching him as he slept. "Sleep well?"

"...Well enough," he said, trying to stay calm. As if not reacting would make this whole thing just another dream. His right arm was lying comfortably across her shoulder, as if holding her close was an unconscious act his body had performed in his sleep. "I think I got the wrong room."

"Or the right one," the Rat snickered, grinning up at him. Somehow, in the early morning, her expressions seemed almost innocent, instead of her usual smirking self. Maybe it was the lack of hood, he mused silently.

"No," he said, "definitely the wrong one."

"Aww..." Argo complained, pouting a little bit.

Kirito tried to sit up, pulling his right arm out from under Argo, but after barely managing to rise he was immediately forced back down. An irritated, sleepy mumble from his left echoed out, and Kirito felt a heavy weight grab onto his left arm, pinning it to the bed. He looked over, pretty sure he knew exactly what was going on, he still needed to make sure.

Sure enough, Lisbeth was fast asleep, all but wrapped around his left arm and keeping it trapped against her chest with a tight hug. She, unlike Argo, was wearing a nightgown that kept her modest, but only barely; other than a pair of straps that went over her shoulder, the ruffled pink dress started just at chest height. Her pink hair was messy but didn't fall over her face at all, and Kirito could see the peaceful smile on her face. As he watched, she let out a quiet giggle and nuzzled closer. A good dream, then, he realized.

Someone knocked lightly at the door before it was pushed open. "Argo," Asuna said, "have you seen Kazuto? He's not in his..."

The beautiful girl trailed off, and Kirito smiled weakly as she stared at the sight of the three of them. "...Good morning?" he offered.

"Asuna, did you find - aah!" Silica was at the door next, standing next to Asuna. Unlike Asuna's nearly thousand-yard stare, the young girl pouted in irritation. "Hey, that's not fair!"

 _What_ wasn't fair? Kirito wanted to shout. On the other hand, he didn't want to wake Lisbeth up.

"What's going on?" Leafa called. "Why are you all in front of Argo and Liz's room?" Eventually, his little sister joined the cluster in front of the girls' door. "Oh, Kazuto, there you are," she said. "You missed morning practice."

"Missed... Why aren't you upset!" Asuna exclaimed, whirling on her. "Kazuto just snuck into bed with Argo and Liz!"

Argo blinked. "Ah, she finally exploded," she muttered.

Leafa waved away Asuna's sudden shouting. "That's normal," she said.

" _Normal_?!" Asuna and Silica shouted. Lisbeth stirred, mumbling quietly.

"Yeah," Leafa nodded. "We slept in the same room all the time, but when Kazuto got older he moved to a different room. When Kazuto got sleepy because he stayed up late playing video games he'd go into my room all the time, on accident. Normally I was out of bed in the morning before he woke up, so it wasn't a big deal, but I guess Liz and Argo sleep in later."

"...I suppose," Asuna said, before turning to Silica and Leafa. "Breakfast will be ready soon, so go wash up," she told them.

"Okay~," the two younger girls chorused.

Asuna gave the trio in bed one last gimlet stare before turning and very deliberately not closing the door before she left. Wouldn't want the three of them to get _ideas_ , after all. Kirito chuckled weakly, even as Argo snickered and hopped out of the bed. The info broker stretched indolently, raising her arm over her head and pulling at it. The motion made her shirt rise up, revealing a flat stomach -

Kirito immediately looked away, ignoring Argo's knowing laughter. Of course, that meant he was looking right at Lisbeth when the blacksmith finally let go of his arm and sat up, rubbing at her eyes. "Mmm..." she moaned. The blankets draped off of her shoulders rather fetchingly, a part of Kirito's mind that hadn't given up trying to make sense of things noted. "Oh... Good morning, Kirito..." Lisbeth smiled at him cutely, before she blinked a few more times. "K-K-K-Kirito?!" she yelped. "Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing in my bed?!"

Here we go again, Kirito couldn't help but think with a sigh.

* * *

 **Kirito's good at getting himself into awkward situations. Really, mostly because he does things on instinct, without thinking. But then again, it's also probably his strongest weapon when it comes to seducing girls. Argo kinda did bring this one on herself, though, since she really shouldn't have been peeping on her Kii-boy. Oh well, I doubt any of the girls minded the outcome~.**

 **And as the main event, the Moonlit Black Cats. I chose to do something completely different for once: they're _not_ going to die! Hooray! Instead, they just had to flee from a dungeon that was way too powerful for them. Bad info broker didn't check the info... but they didn't verify it themselves either, so I guess they're just lucky nothing bad happened. Then comes a recruiting mission where Kirito starts an alliance and also inducts children into his guild. I guess every royal needs a court.**

 **And the 'whoops wrong bed' strat from Sister Overload comes back to make a return. Only in this case, it wasn't planned out by Sugu... She's just fine with it, since she's used to him getting into her bed when he's sleepy and makes mistakes. Argo definitely didn't mind the wake-up present, though Liz was a bit more bashful (Poor Asuna and Silica) despite accepting his presence at first. She must have been having a really good dream.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.**

 **By the way. A few people have mentioned that it's a really weird coincidence how this story and Saint's SAO: The Eroge always update at the same time. Especially now that it's 7 times in a row. That's a really weird coincidence all right. Totally coincidental. (Basically, I was chatting with Saint about Eroge, and idly mentioned this story was in the works. I was then told that 'that deserves another chapter of Eroge'. In essence, it was a bloodpact - Eroge gets an update, and I posted the story. Lo and behold, the second chapter of Eroge appeared... So the bloodpact was sealed and the story was posted. At this point, it's more just a motivational challenge for me to get off my rear and actually write; I do my best to post _my_ chapter of STaS whenever Saint posts a chapter of Eroge. Don't worry, I'm not holding the story hostage or anything like that, and it's just a little self-imposed challenge. Saint's a good sport about the whole thing, too.) I'm _pretty_ sure my readers are a subset of Saint's, but if you haven't read his stuff, go do that right now. Much better than this dreck, at any rate.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

 **February 17th, 2023**

Silica hummed happily to herself as she walked through the streets of the 25th Floor. It was a little chilly out so she was wearing a light blue scarf over her regular equipment. It wasn't as nice a scarf as the one Kirito had given Leafa for Christmas, but it was still cute, she thought. Of course, it was still a little chilly, but that just meant she had an excuse to stop by the little food stall near the northern exit of the town. They sold bags of steaming peanuts, and they tasted _amazing!_ Asuna always told her that she shouldn't eat them or she would ruin her appetite for dinner, which was ridiculous, in Silica's opinion. She could always eat more since the food was virtual! And besides, Silica was all by herself today, so it wasn't like Asuna could stop her!

Full of her rebellious spirit, Silica wandered over and purchased a nice bag of peanuts to go, munching on the hot treat as she headed back to the Teleport Gate. Kirito had gone out with Leafa and Asuna to challenge a dungeon on the Front Lines, while Lisbeth and Argo went out to collect materials, bringing the four kids with them. So, naturally, that meant Silica was going out on her own to get some experience. She didn't want to risk going out to the Front Lines on her own - the monsters were really, really tough! - so she headed down to Floor 22. That one was a lot easier, perfect for grinding her One-Handed Straight Sword Skill level.

When she appeared on the Floor, Silica stretched and yawned. It was still a little chilly, so she didn't bother removing her scarf as she walked out of the town and angled for the nearby forest. While she walked, she kept munching at her tasty peanut treat, even after entering the forest proper. That's how little danger the enemies really posed to Silica... or even any regular player going through the Floor. Honestly, she thought as she grabbed another handful of peanuts, she wouldn't be surprised if she didn't run into any -

 _Rustle rustle_

Silica froze, hand holding peanuts outstretched. _Really?_ she sighed. Maybe there was something to that Murphy thing Kirito and Argo kept talking about. Dropping the peanuts in her hands, heedless of how they spilled across the ground, she whirled and drew her sword and shield with a swift motion. It was a good thing she reacted like she did, since one of the rare hostile mobs on the Floor jumped from the bushes with a snarl.

"Hah!" she shouted, pushing back with the Shield Bash Skill before she even consciously registered what her attacker looked like. Her large shield impacted solidly against its body and flung the mob back, and Silica focused on it. It was a Maroon Wolf, the dark red mob snarling at her on all fours. Silica raised her sword carefully, preparing to strike, before pushing forward and slashing with a fierce war cry.

It was a little awkward to fight without using Sword Skills, but Kirito had insisted that everyone learn how to fight without them, so it wasn't awful. It just took longer to kill the mob that was threatening her. Which, in its own way, was helpful, Silica realized as she sheathed her weapons. It gave her more time to level up her Skills! And practice fighting the mobs solo, which was always good. She wanted Kirito to be able to rely on her, too! Silica giggled as she scrolled through her menu to sort the Maroon Wolf's drops, happily imagining the scenarios where she'd -

 _Bing!_

"Eh?" Silica asked, staring at the pop-up that had just appeared. "...'Would you like to name the tamed Feathered Little Dragon?'" she read, tilting her head. ...What was a Feathered Little Dragon? And for that matter, she added to herself, what was a _tamed_ Feathered Little Dragon?

A little leery of just accepting the prompt when she didn't know what was going on, Silica looked around. Nothing _seemed_ to be any different around her, until she looked down. Immediately she stopped and stared at the sight in front of her. Where she'd spilled her bag of peanuts, a small light blue creature was sitting, patiently looking up at her. Its red eyes didn't seem to be filled with any malice at all, and its small triangular head was cocked inquisitively as it looked at her. As Silica took in the wide blue wings, tipped with white feathers that looked so incredibly soft and snuggly, her overwhelmed mind could only note that she knew what a Feathered Little Dragon was, now.

Since it wasn't immediately hostile, Silica tentatively tapped at the prompt. When a keyboard appeared, asking for her to enter a name, she studied the little four-legged creature studying her in turn. "...What should I name you?" she asked it, not really expecting a response.

"Kyui!" it chirped.

"Oh, you're adorable," Silica exclaimed, crouching down to smile at the little monster. "Hm... Oh, I know!" She straightened up and brought the keyboard over. "I'll name you Pina!"

Her cat, back in the real world. She loved the beautiful cat, and just the thought of having her best friend back, even if in name only, made her feel warm inside. ...Though not as warm as she might have expected... Oh! She realized why almost immediately after asking herself the question. It was because she had friends already!

"Let's be friends, Pina!" Silica smiled.

Pina spread her wings and flapped them a few times, taking flight. She circled Silica a few times, chirping happily, before landing on her head and settling in, flaring her wings to keep her balance as Silica adjusted for her weight in surprise. "Kyui!" Pina keened, gently gripping the twin-tailed girl's head with her paws.

Silica giggled. "Hey, that tickles, Pina," she said. Pina just chirped again, her tail flicking lightly against her neck, and Silica laughed. "Be careful not to fall off," she chided the small dragon before setting off into the forest, searching for more mobs to fight. Hopefully she wouldn't encounter another Pina, that would be really awkward!

...

"Silica," Lisbeth began slowly, staring at her, "mind if I ask a question?"

"Eheheh..." Silica dug her toe in the carpet and fidgeted sheepishly.

"So..." Lisbeth raised a finger and opened her mouth, and then closed it, tapping her chin thoughtfully. Then she opened her mouth again, only to close it. The cycle repeated itself a few more times. Meanwhile, Silica leaned away subtly when Argo inched closer, eyes wide and sparkling. For once, the info broker wasn't teasing the young girl; instead, she was staring as if entranced... by Pina. "Okay," Lisbeth finally said with a sharp exhalation. "So, um, Silica, why are you wearing a dragon as a hat?"

Lisbeth, it seemed, was starting to get surprisingly used to the shenanigans that the Royal Blades found themselves in, Silica noted while trying to slap Argo's questing hands away from poking at Pina. She hadn't even questioned the fact that Silica had left without Pina and come back _with_ her, just that Pina was riding on her head. "I accidentally dropped peanuts in the forest on the 22nd Floor when I fought a Maroon Wolf. Pina just... appeared after that? I'm not sure, I didn't see. But a screen popped up, saying I tamed her."

"An' ya said Pina here's a Feathered Little Dragon?" Argo was undeterred by Silica's increasingly accurate smacks and kept trying to stroke Pina's wings and back. "Never heard of that kinda mob before. Guess ya got a rare one, Silica. Pre~tty good luck, with the firs' mob ta be tamed bein' a rare spawn. Cute, too."

Silica smiled. "Pina's great!" she said. "And taming her meant I got a few extra Skills for free."

"Oh, do tell," Argo purred.

"Only if you promise to stop bothering Pina," Silica scolded the Rat.

"Yeah, yeah, I won't bother 'er, now spill," Argo said. It seemed that her lust for new information overrode her curiosity about the familiar.

"I got - Eeep!"

Silica _started_ to explain what she'd earned from taming Pina when a pair of arms wrapped around her stomach. "Oh hey, Asuna's home," Lisbeth said flatly. The high-pitched keening noises Silica was hearing, she realized, were coming from Asuna.

"Aah!" Asuna finally exclaimed as she tightened the hug. "How? How did Silica get even _cuter_!?"

"You're crushing her, Asuna," Leafa said, tugging on the girl's shoulder. "Let the poor girl breathe."

"But Sugu," the second-in-command complained. Still, she let Silica go, and Silica hurriedly took a few steps away from Asuna. When she glanced at Argo, the info broker was tucking something away in one of the pockets of her cloak. She wasn't sure what it was, but probably nothing good... "A-anyway," Asuna coughed quietly, "why do you have a little dragon riding on your head?"

"She tamed it on the 22nd Floor," Lisbeth replied.

Leafa blinked. "Huh. Didn't know you could do that."

Asuna approached gingerly and reached out a hand to pet Pina. Before she could touch the familiar, though, Pina let out a quiet cry and took off. Asuna's hand darted out, the speed that made her known as the Lightning Flash on full display, but she wasn't able to reach far enough to touch Pina before the dragon had flown around Silica and landed on her shoulder. "Mrr..." Asuna murmured, hand reaching out again. Pina jumped away and dodged her again. This time, the dragon flew around the room.

Finally, the last member of their guild stepped into the living room. "What's going on?" Kirito asked, blinking as he watched Asuna try desperately to catch the flying dragon. "...Why is there a dragon flying around?"

"Silica tamed him, Kazuto," Leafa informed him.

"Oh, okay." Just like that, he was alright with the situation. He barely even blinked when Pina landed on his head, letting out a quiet 'kyui!' at Asuna as the long-haired girl stopped just before she ran into Kirito.

Lisbeth just rubbed at her forehead. "Everyone in this guild is insane," she muttered.

Argo nudged the pink-haired blacksmith. "Yer one ta talk, Miss Pink Hair. Ya fit right in with us, so what's that say about you?"

"...Urgh..." Lisbeth grumbled. "Fine, so maybe you have a point."

"Can someone get him off of my head?" Kirito asked plaintively. Silica held out her arms and Pina launched herself forward, landing neatly in them. She giggled as she looked up at her and licked her cheek. Aw, she's so cute, she thought.

* * *

 **February 24th, 2023**

Kirito did his best to stifle the sigh he _knew_ was trying to break free. He _hated_ politics between guilds. Asuna and Argo knew that, and yet they'd insisted he attend the guild meeting on the 27th Floor regardless. There was a reason he preferred playing solo in most MMOs. Then again, forming the Royal Blades had brought him closer with everyone, so maybe there was something to be said about guilds... But that was beside the point at the moment.

Right now, he was sitting at the round table in the meeting hall on the 27th Floor early in the morning, despite how uncomfortable he felt sitting there. Kirito, along with his two seconds Asuna and Argo, were the Royal Blades' representatives in the meeting of the three major guilds. He'd upgraded his equipment, and it still wasn't quite setting right on him; the black coat he was wearing was made from the leather of a monster from Floor 23, and his new gloves were sewn by Asuna.

Speaking of the long-haired girl, she fidgeted awkwardly from time to time, adjusting her red cloth armor. Her shoulders were left bare, the red sleeves starting just over halfway up her upper arm and continuing to just over her wrists. The main body of the armor was a single red tunic, including a half cape around her legs with dark blue edging. She also wore a midnight blue pleated skirt that ended at the thigh, revealing a nearly-invisible strip of skin before her stockings started. To finish the look, the guild symbols had been stitched into the high collar and the hem of the tunic roughly where her hips were, as well as the outside of her stockings. Naturally, her precious rapier hung on her hip. She'd complained about the equipment at first, but after Leafa and Argo pointed out how much it cost to buy, she reluctantly decided to wear the somewhat-revealing clothes. Kirito couldn't complain about the decision, not in the slightest; he liked it when he glanced over and caught sight of her in the eye-catching outfit.

Coming in their armor had been something Argo suggested. It showed that they were considering this an issue related to combat, not politics; Kirito was just grateful that he didn't have to wear the flashy formal clothes. He didn't _hate_ them, but they did attract attention. Or maybe it was that the girls' natural beauty was highlighted when they wore the tailored outfits, he mused.

Along the table to his left, Lind was sitting in his heavy metal armor, Shivata standing behind him; and to his right, an older man - the one who'd called the meeting in the first place, and the leader of the newest guild, Knights of the Blood - named Heathcliff.

Argo had filled him in on the Knights of the Blood once she heard about the meeting, and that the Royal Blades had been invited, but there wasn't much to it. The Knights of the Blood were incredibly new; they'd only announced themselves at the start of the 26th Floor, after all. Still, the guild had attracted or recruited a good number of high-level players, and they'd distinguished themselves in the fight against The Venomous One, the massive spike-covered snake boss. As for their leader, Heathcliff, Argo could only shrug and weakly offer the fact that he liked ramen.

The problem was, precisely because they were so new, the fight had nearly gone poorly when their usual formations and tactics were thrown off by the addition of the new guild. It was especially dangerous because the venom of the snake was deadly if untreated; when their pot rotation had become snarled thanks to the Knights of the Blood charging in when the Dragon Knights Brigade wasn't prepared, one poor player had nearly died. Thankfully, the 26th Boss was incredibly weak aside from that one wrinkle, so there hadn't been any casualties.

As a result of the near-miss, though, there had been some quiet muttering in the ranks once the fight was over. So, in order to head things off before they became a problem, Heathcliff proposed a meeting between the three major guilds. Kirito wasn't sure what they were going to talk about, but... here they all were.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," Heathcliff said finally, speaking up for the first time, and Kirito looked at him. His voice was calm and authoritative; coupled with his slightly wrinkled face, he had the aura of someone capable of giving orders and expecting them to be followed. In other words, Kirito thought, the exact image of a real commander... and the opposite of himself. "First and foremost, allow me to apologize for my guild's performance in the last Boss battle. It endangered players, and for that I humbly beg your apology."

"Pfft, yeah right," Argo muttered quietly. Kirito glanced at her, and she rolled her eyes exaggeratedly before folding her arms behind her back and standing silently. He grinned at her in thanks and apology both before turning back to Heathcliff. The older man was simply watching them thoughtfully, and Kirito tilted his head politely.

"In order to ensure that this doesn't happen again," Heathcliff said once he'd received Kirito's nod, "I suggest that we, among ourselves and our guilds, determine a chain of command. Obviously, it wouldn't be set in stone, but it might be able to prevent the events from the previous two Floors."

Kirito grimaced as Heathcliff solemnly reminded everyone in the room of what had happened on the 25th Floor. It was horrible... and also the reason there were only three guild leaders in the room and not four. Kibaou... Kirito sighed, and automatically reached back. Argo took his hand gratefully, squeezing it gently before letting go. It wasn't her fault, it wasn't anywhere _near_ her fault, but he knew she still felt upset about the whole affair.

As a result of bad information - Kirito wasn't sure if it had been sold maliciously, or if the unknown info broker had just been horribly misinformed themselves - the ALS had believed that the Boss was incredibly weak, and so charged the boss room all on their own. Kirito didn't know why; maybe Kibaou had wanted the Last Attack Bonus for himself, or maybe he'd just been impatient to beat the boss barring the way, or maybe he'd wanted to be the hero that brought them to the end of the first quarter of the game. Whatever the reason, the raid party had been _woefully_ underprepared for the boss - even if it had been a normal-strength boss like Illfang or Asterius. However, to 'mark' the occasion, the boss had been even stronger than usual.

Kibaou's group was decimated; only four players of the raid of 24 survived their ill-fated attack. Kibaou had been one of the survivors, but the brash man had retreated down to the first Floor. The guild just couldn't stay on the front lines, and the last Kirito had heard they were starting to tentatively recruit in the Town of Beginnings. Argo was keeping a quiet set of eyes and ears out in the search for whoever had sold the info, but nothing had cropped up yet; Kibaou had no idea where the information came from, only that it suddenly spread through his guild until he learned about it.

Kirito was forced out of his thoughts when Lind leaned forward and put his arms on the table, the metal clanking. "So you're saying," the leader of the DKB said, "we declare the official leader of the guilds." Heathcliff nodded. Lind's eyes darted at Kirito and the girls as he said, "Then I agree. Having a clear leader will help the boss fights immensely and prevent any accidental deaths that might happen when newer players follow someone they're not supposed to."

"Hey!" Asuna snapped. "Just what are you implying?!"

Kirito reached out and gently patted her arm, and she stopped bristling. Still, he didn't take his eyes off of Lind. The player that almost got killed in the Boss fight had been one of the DKB. He couldn't blame Lind for being irritated, especially since the Knights of the Blood had tried to attack with the Royal Blades - but at the same time, he wasn't just willing to let Lind snipe at the guild like that without saying anything. He knew the blue-haired man was still nursing the grudge that had been born at the first Floor's Boss fight. "I agree," he said. "This way, there won't be any confusion, which will make training new players easier. Simple mistakes like that can be avoided. But how will we decide? Just picking someone at random doesn't seem any better than having no leader at all."

Lind's eyes narrowed. "It should be obvious, shouldn't it?" he said. "We of the Dragon Knights Brigade have the most players. Naturally, we would be the best choice, since as the largest guild our numbers allow us to coordinate efforts easily."

Heathcliff's steady gaze didn't waver. "I think you'll find that the Knights of the Blood are a match for your guild. Our organizational structure is simple and effective, and applying it to the clearers as a whole will be simple enough."

Argo coughed once. Lind and Heathcliff didn't seem to notice. "We have more people," Lind said stubbornly, raising his voice as if that would make his point more persuasive. "It makes sense for us to be in charge. Besides, we're usually making up most of the raid party anyway, so it's not like things would change all that much."

While he had a point, Kirito admitted to himself, he was starting to get a little irritated by the way the two guild leaders were ignoring him and the girls. "Be that as it may," Heathcliff replied, still patiently calm, "our average levels are higher than yours. Greater numbers or not, isn't that a clear indicator of our relative strength?"

Lind gritted his teeth, and was about to shoot back a reply when Argo cleared her throat again, louder this time. "'Scuse me," she said. "Not that I don't mind lettin' ya teach us gals how ta catfight prop'rly, but aren't ya forgettin' someone?"

"You?" Lind all but sneered. "The Royal Swords? You're smaller than the KOB. And besides, you're not bad, I'll admit, but you only ever show up with one party. How could _you_ be the leaders?" He shook his head and turned back to Heathcliff. "It's the DKB's responsibility as the largest guild to be an example for -"

Asuna _slammed_ her palm down on the tabletop. The loud bang interrupted Lind and made him jump in his seat, his armor rattling. Kirito winced, and snuck a glance at his second-in-command. Then he leaned away from her as subtly as he could. "Uh-oh," he and Argo chorused together, sharing a quick glance.

Because Asuna was smiling sweetly, her angelic face not doing much to hide an unbearable anger. "Excuse me, Lind," she said slowly and precisely. "But was that an _insult_? Did you just insult my guild leader and my guild to our faces?"

Lind swallowed. "I..."

"Because if it was, and you did," Asuna continued, "I can see a very simple way to settle the matter of strongest guild once and for all. A duel. Between the three guilds. The winner will be, without any arguing from the losers, the leader. Does that sound like an acceptable compromise?"

She made it sound like a question, Kirito noticed, but somehow the aura of danger emanating from Asuna made it seem more like an unquestionable declaration.

"Interesting," Heathcliff noted, folding his hands in front of him and resting his chin on top of his laced fingers. "Very well, the KOB has no reason to decline the duel. Lind, do you agree with this method?"

The blue-haired leader of the largest guild gritted his teeth and stared at the table. "...No," he said eventually.

"Then it's decided. We will use a duel to decide who among us should be the leader."

...

Kirito stretched as he exited the meeting hall, tugging at one arm as he lifted it over his head. "That coulda gone better," Argo said impishly.

"It could also have gone worse," he told her. "At least this way we've all agreed on the method, so hopefully there won't be any arguing once it's all over."

Beside the two of them, Asuna fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. "...I'm sorry," she said eventually.

"You're sorry?" Kirito asked her. He had no idea what she could be apologizing for. It wasn't like she'd done anything wrong, right? "For what?"

"For losing my temper," she sighed. "I just got so mad and said something before thinking about it. Now we're stuck in a duel." She looked up at Kirito and Argo, eyes hard and cold, like a blade in moonlight before it cut. "Not that I regret what I said. But... Let me fight the DKB, okay?"

Kirito studied her, and then nodded. "Of course," he said. When she smiled at him in thanks, he continued, "Hey, you're the one who got us into this mess, after all."

"Ah! Kazuto!"

"Nya hah hah," Argo laughed, patting the girl's shoulder. "Yer kinda hot-headed when it comes to Kii-boy an' the rest of us, huh, A-chan?"

"Argo! Kazuto! Stop teasing me!" Asuna puffed her cheeks out in irritation.

Kirito laughed as Argo, naturally, didn't stop teasing his best friend. As he looked around, his eyes fell on a group of six men, standing around near the exit to the building. They were all chatting to each other quietly, clearly good friends. Each one wore some variant of red in their clothes, marking them as belonging to the same guild. In fact, Kirito knew, the six players were the entire guild. Fuurinkazan, led by the man with his back to Kirito and the girls.

As if thinking about him had somehow alerted the man, he turned around. His messy red hair was held out of his face with a bandana, and the easygoing grin on his face made Kirito relax. Klein, he thought, was a good friend, and always ready to joke around. "Hey, Kirito!" the samurai said with a grin. "How's it going, buddy?"

"It's pretty good," Kirito said with a smile. He'd met the man and his guild on the lower Floors, when the six of them decided to attend several of the lessons he'd hosted in the Town of Beginnings. Back then, Klein hadn't even been able to correctly activate a Sword Skill to kill the weakest enemy, but by this point he and his guild were a powerful force on the front lines. It was a credit to Klein's talents as leader that even on the front lines, where things were most dangerous, Fuurinkazan weren't hesitating to stand up and fight. While they'd mostly been fighting on their own, Kirito _had_ noticed the samurai guild showing up for the last two boss fights, and was glad to have them fighting alongside the Royal Blades.

"Seems like things got a little out of hand in there," Klein said.

Kirito laughed a little sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Well... Maybe a little. But that's not really the point. What are you guys doing here?" By this point, they should have been out exploring the new Floor. They hadn't been part of the meeting, and the new Floors were always a bounty of quests and items... "Shouldn't you be out and around?"

"Lookin' fer anyone desperate enough ta date ya?" Argo added in, smirking at him.

Kirito sighed as Klein clutched at his head in agony. "Don't say things like that!" Klein complained. "J-Just because I'm 22 and single, and -"

While Klein went on a rant about how he was _definitely_ going to find a cute girlfriend sooner or later, and how he was so jealous of Kirito because he had so many beauties in his guild - Asuna laughed weakly, blushing as the rough samurai sang her praises - Kirito turned to Argo. "Did you have to say that?" he asked her wearily.

Argo snickered. "Have ta? Nah." Kirito sighed at her unapologetic laughter, shaking his head. He didn't really mind when she made fun of him, but that was because they were part of the same guild and he'd known her for a while. It just seemed harsher when she was aiming that acid tongue at someone outside their circle of friends. "...Fine, I'll be nice," Argo muttered, sulking a little bit when he raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't gotta give me the disappointed big bro look, that'll only work on yer lil' sis."

Well, it was as close to an apology as he was going to get out of her, Kirito figured, so he turned back to Klein. "So, Klein," he said, speaking to the little curled up ball of misery, "why are you here?"

Klein straightened up and coughed a few times before throwing his arm around Kirito's shoulder and pulling him close. "Hey, we had a favor we wanted to ask. See, we've heard a few rumors that you're teaming up with some other guilds and forming an alliance, and I figured I'd ask my buddy Kirito if he minded letting Fuurinkazan join up in that too."

"Eheh..." Kirito laughed. "I don't think there will be any problem with that. But it's not really an alliance, really, and it's just the Moonlit Black Cats..."

Klein, however, didn't seem to care about Kirito's words past the agreement. "Alright!" he cheered, pumping a fist in the air. "You rule, Kirito! Hey guys, we're in!" At his ebullient shout, the rest of the Fuurinkazan members looked up and laughed, grinning and nudging each other.

Kirito laughed. "This isn't just so you can spend more time around the girls, is it?"

"What? No, of course not! Definitely not! But if ya don't mind letting them party with us from time to time..." Klein said, adding the last bit in a conspiratorial whisper. Kirito was pretty sure he didn't really mean it; Fuurinkazan and RB had teamed up enough times in the past that the older man had probably seen exactly how the girls interacted with Kirito. Read, how he usually ended up wrapped around their fingers no matter what. "Though, actually, we want to do our best to help you guys out. You're probably our best hope for making it outta here, right?"

"I don't know about that," Kirito said. "But... thanks. It's always great to have more people helping out."

Klein let go of the younger boy and stood back. "No problem. But... You guys are fighting a duel, huh?" Kirito shrugged, even while Asuna's shoulders slumped and Argo patted her back soothingly. "Well, I guess it's one way to settle things," Klein said, rubbing at his chin scruff, "but aren't you worried?"

"Mah, it's no biggie," Argo said with a shrug. "Kii-boy's gonna win, of course. He's gotta put on a show after A-chan got all upset in his defense, after all~."

"Argo!" Asuna whined.

Klein shook his head. "Must be nice, having a pretty girl like that leap to your defense."

"Exactly like a housewife, eh?" Argo added.

Poor Asuna was shaking and bright red, totally flustered by the good-natured teasing. Kirito coughed once to catch the attention of Klein and Argo before he said, "Sorry we have to run, Klein, but the others are all waiting for me."

"The others…? That's not fair!" Klein complained. He threw himself at Kirito's feet, clutching at his legs. "How? How do you have so many girls waiting for you?! Teach me your ways, Master! Or at least introduce me to a few of them!"

With a long-suffering sigh, the Fuurinkazan member with a greatsword and heavy armor grabbed Klein's leg and started tugging him away. "Klein, did you forget we wanted to check out the new dungeons today?" Dale asked rhetorically.

"No! Let me go!" he cried, even as his grip around Kirito's legs slackened. With a final wail, he lost his grip entirely and was dragged away. "Please, man! Tell me how...!"

"Sorry about our idiot leader," Dynamm, the one with a bandanna over his head and a small moustache, said to Kirito and the girls. "We'll be out of your way, now."

"Kiritooooo!"

As the rest of his guild grabbed the squirming Klein and carried him away like he was a flopping fish, Dale holding his legs and the others holding the arms. Kirito, Asuna, and Argo waved goodbye, a little nonplussed by the older man's antics. Eventually, once his wailing had faded in the distance, Asuna and Argo looked at each other. Argo let out a rueful chuckle while Asuna giggled weakly. "Let's... just go home and get the others," Kirito said.

* * *

After a long day of exploration on the 27th Floor, they all sat down for a guild meeting. "So, wait," Lisbeth said, "Klein and his guild are gonna be working with us, just like Sachi and the Black Cats?" Kirito nodded.

Silica tilted her head, stroking the sleeping Pina on her lap. "But how did they know? None of us said anything."

"Somehow, they heard a rumor the Royal Blades were taking other guilds into an alliance," Kirito said. "I wonder how _that_ happened."

He punctuated his sentence with a stern stare at Argo, but she just shrugged with exaggerated innocence as if to say, 'Who, _me_?' and proclaim her innocence to her guild. Kirito knew it was Argo's fault. Leafa and Asuna knew it was Argo's fault. Lisbeth and Silica knew it was Argo's fault. _Argo_ knew it was Argo's fault. But they couldn't _prove_ it was her fault, and that was good enough for her.

Kirito just sighed when the info broker didn't seem apologetic in the slightest. "However they got the information, they asked to join the alliance, and I said yes. That's okay with everyone, right?"

"Of course, Kazuto," Leafa said immediately. Lisbeth and Silica echoed her agreement a few seconds later. "But I'm more interested in hearing about meeting. How did everything go?"

"Well..."

Kirito explained what had happened, and just like he'd expected Leafa didn't... take it very well. "He said what?! That jerk!" Leafa exclaimed, rising to her feet. "Ooh... I'm going to teach him a lesson!"

"You'll have to get in line behind A-chan," Argo sang easily from her position on the couch. Asuna, sitting across from her, blinked. "I think she's gonna pull rank if ya try anythin', though."

"What! Asuna, you wouldn't, would you?"

"Fufufu..." Asuna laughed elegantly. "I'm sorry, Sugu, but I will be the one to fight against the Dragon Knights Brigade. I'm certain you can go up against the Knights of the Blood."

Kirito stared. If Asuna was speaking like that... she was definitely serious, and she wouldn't be convinced otherwise. It was something rare to see, but the siblings had encountered it before. Leafa clearly remembered the exact same thing and nodded, taking a seat. There wouldn't be any arguing over who got to fight the DKB.

Well... With that settled, it was only a matter of waiting for the challenge to arrive. It didn't take long, either; the main town of the 24th Floor had an arena that was perfect for the event, and before more than two hours had passed Argo jolted in an unconscious twitch. "It's here," she said, tapping in the air before making her menu visible to the others and sliding it over. Kirito stared at the message, scanning it while the girls clustered around him to read over his shoulder. They were really close, almost distractingly so, but Kirito was able to keep himself focused on the writing.

"So... The challenge is tomorrow, then," Asuna said with a definite air of satisfaction. "I'll prepare my rapier in anticipation. You _will_ let me fight in your place, won't you, Kirito?"

"Of course," Kirito said instantly.

Asuna's eyes glittered with predatory glee for an instant before the elegant girl's normal attitude was back. "Thank you," she said before sweeping out of the room, heading towards the kitchen. "I'll get started on dinner, everyone," she called out.

That seemed to be the cue for everyone else to scatter. In the end, only Kirito and Leafa were left in the living room, Leafa leaning over his shoulder as she stared into the distance, thinking hard. "So, Leafa," Kirito started to say, turning to look at her, only to realize that his face was incredibly close to hers. If he'd leaned forward at all, his lips would have brushed her cheek.

"Eh?" His sister looked at him abruptly, before she straightened up and fidgeted, taking a step away. "Um, Kazuto?" Leafa said. "Your face is kinda close..."

"Ah! S-Sorry!" Kirito jerked away, not looking at her. "I didn't..." Wait, he realized, she'd been the one leaning on _him_. Oh, whatever, it doesn't matter, he decided. She's a girl, after all, and she might not want her big brother hanging around her all the time. "Anyway, do... you really want to fight Heathcliff? I'm not going to stop you, but... he _is_ the leader of the guild."

Leafa clenched her fists, eyes burning with determination. "Of course I do," she declared. "I'm not letting _anyone_ get away with insulting you, or any of us!"

Kirito laughed and reached out, patting his little sister's head. "Alright, I get it," he told her. "I'll leave things to you tomorrow, then."

"You'd better," she said, pawing at her bangs. "I won't let you down, Kazuto."

"You never have before," he told her. "And I'll never be disappointed by you." Leafa giggled, smiling happily at him, before she spun on her heel and headed into the kitchen. He heard her start to speak with Asuna, their voices too low to be clearly understood, and moved to the couch to lie down and relax for a bit. He was sleepy, and a nap before dinner seemed like just the thing...

* * *

Asuna sighed in resignation as she walked into the living room to see Kirito lying down on the couch, eyes closed. Pina was curled up on his chest, the pet dragon's flanks rising and falling rhythmically. "He's so relaxed," Lisbeth muttered as she leaned against the doorway, crossing her arms as she watched the pair fondly. Asuna glanced at the pink-haired blacksmith out of the corner of her eye, studying her. She had her suspicions...

"You know how he is," she said finally, smiling at her Kirito. "Always stealing naps whenever he can."

"Unless dinner is ready," Kirito said, cracking one eye open. Asuna definitely did _not_ jump in surprise, her heart rate speeding up. "I'm still awake, guys, c'mon."

"Coulda fooled me," Lisbeth said, grinning at him. "You looked like you'd already fallen asleep."

"Good thing I didn't, you might have eaten my dinner, Liz."

"Hey! No I wouldn't!"

Asuna smiled. "Whether she would or not," she said, ignoring Lisbeth's squawk of protest, "since you're awake the point is moot. Come eat, Kazuto."

"Coming, coming," he said, sitting up. Pina didn't bother lifting away from the boy, but instead scrambled up and around his shoulders until the dragon was draped across his neck. The pet monster yawned cutely, exposing her pink tongue, before curling up and going back to sleep. Asuna's hands twitched and she crept over, reaching out to -

"Asuna?" Leafa asked, staring at her in confusion. Immediately, Asuna snatched her hand away, pretending she wasn't doing anything ridiculous. One day, she promised herself. _One day_ , she would get to pet Pina, even if the little dragon didn't like anyone but Kirito and Silica. One day...

...

 **February 25th, 2023**

"Any last-minute advice before we start, Argo?" Asuna asked, making sure to take the time to complete her stretches. It didn't matter, but she didn't want to get into any bad habits. Her mother had been sure to imprint the importance of ensuring bad habits were not ever formed, even from a young age.

"Nya hah hah!" Argo laughed. "Nervous, A-chan? I didn' take ya fer the nervous type."

Asuna shook her head. "Not nervous. But I want to be prepared for anything, even rumors."

Argo shrugged, her cloak rippling, and tugged at a lock of hair framing her face. "Eh, sure... Let Big Sis Argo take care of yer worries, then. Lind... He's proud, an' definitely good wit' his curved sword. Haven't heard any rumors about a rare Skill or anythin' like that if that's what ya were worried about. He's th' leader of 'is guild though, I'm sure he's good."

Asuna nodded. "I see," she said. "Thank you, Argo."

"No prob, A-chan. Now go on out there an' win, 'kay?"

The girls and Kirito were standing in the wings of the huge arena on the 24th Floor. Even from inside the dark hallway, they could hear the loud chatter of players. It seemed that every front liner, and a bunch of players from the mid-level areas and even the rear lines, had come to watch the fight. "How much did you bet on us to win, Argo?" Lisbeth asked the info broker. Argo just grinned sunnily, snickering while throwing up double peace signs. "Of course."

Kirito glanced around at everyone, and Asuna nodded at him when his eyes landed on her. He smiled back at her, his easy grin filling her with warm confidence, and then they were entering the arena proper. Asuna forced herself not to wince from the bright sun suddenly beaming down on her, instead focusing intently on the group of players already waiting in the center of the sandy arena. The red and white uniforms of the KOB, and the ornate, high-level armor of the DKB... Asuna was definitely going to crush her opponent today. No matter what, she wasn't going to let Kirito's faith in her be unrewarded.

"You came," Lind said. His face twisted like he wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or relieved that the Royal Blades had chosen to honor the agreement. He wasn't a _bad_ person, Asuna knew, but he considered himself their leader thanks to 'inheriting Diavel's will' or some such nonsense and had the bad habit of forcing his decisions on the others. _That_ was what infuriated her. As well as his blithe disregard for Kirito and the guild, of course. "Might as well get this started, then. You and I will be fighting first, Kirito. The KOB will be fighting the winner."

Kirito nodded, and glanced at Asuna. She smiled at him and stepped forward, hand resting on her rapier. "I'll be fighting you," she declared.

Lind hesitated, and then glared at Kirito. "Making a girl fight your battles for you? Are the Royal Blades really that weak?"

Kirito winced, even as the rest of the guild nearly stopped breathing. Asuna, for her part, only betrayed her fury by tightening the grip on her rapier, her knuckles going white. "Why don't you draw your sword," she told Lind, "and I'll show you why I'm your opponent."

The rest of her guild took a few steps away before moving to clear the area. Asuna's eyes narrowed as she swiped her menu open and sent the duel request. Lind was going to regret ever saying those things to her, and she was going to enjoy making him regret them. Her opponent accepted the duel, and both players drew their weapons as the countdown appeared above them. Asuna raised her rapier, the point gleaming in the light, and focused on Lind. He'd drawn his curved sword and raised his guard, getting into a practiced stance. She recognized the rarity of the weapon; it was the drop from the Field Boss on the 20th Floor. Poor Leafa had been moping for days when she didn't get the Last Attack Bonus, she remembered.

Too bad that the powerful, rare weapon wouldn't be enough to let him win the duel.

As soon as the timer above them hit zero and rang, Asuna disappeared. A plume of dust kicking up behind where she'd been standing was Lind's only hint that he was in danger, and then he was immediately on the defensive. A blinding fast Linear struck at his shoulder, and he was just barely able to move the blade of his saber to block it. And then another Linear attacked, forcing him to block again. And again, and again, and again. Every Linear came right on the heels of the last, driving him back further and further.

Asuna The Flash. That was the name the players had given her, and for good reason. Her attacks struck like lightning, or maybe a meteor smashing into Lind's guard repeatedly.

A faint smile pulled at Asuna's lips as she thrust over and over again. Yes... This was fun! The thrill of speed and being able to carve out her own destiny with her rapier. And if someone stood in her way, someone like Lind... She would blow them away! "Haaah!" she shouted, twisting her rapier as she thrust. The point slipped under Lind's guard, ducking below where she'd conditioned him to expect the blow, and slammed into his chest. It pierced his armor, cracking the center of the chest piece, and with another savage twist of the rapier sent him flying.

Lind skidded back, his health draining from the force of the blow. Sand sprayed up as he slid. Despite the pain, he still managed to jump back when Asuna lunged for him again, rapier slamming down on the ground. She clicked her tongue as sand sprayed up, forming a blinding cloud between the two of them. She hopped back and waited patiently, not rushing in and trying to strike Lind anyway.

"Raah!" Her suspicions were confirmed when Lind spun out of the cloud of dust, slashing through the air with a powerful Sword Skill. If Asuna had charged, trying to keep up the pressure, she would have been cut across the chest by the strong attack. Instead, his sword cut through the air harmlessly. While he was frozen in the post-Sword Skill paralysis, Asuna strode towards him, her cloth armor fluttering in the slight breeze.

"Forfeit," she told Lind, bringing her rapier back and aiming at his throat. "It would look better for everyone involved."

"Rr..." Lind growled. Asuna had just an instant to react before he slashed up, the edge of his sword slashing her arm. She'd managed to move out of danger at the last second, but her health still drained a lot from the blow. The downside of wearing cloth armor, and her build in general, meant that a more STR-oriented build like Lind's could cut through her health quickly.

"Asuna!" she heard Leafa, Lisbeth, and Silica shout. Still, there were two voices noticeably silent, and Asuna smiled at the confidence Argo and Kirito had in her.

Her health stopped draining, deep in the green; one more hit like that, and she'd lose the duel. However, Asuna wasn't worried. Kirito had taught her well - as long as she had even _one_ hit point left, she wasn't going to fail! She flipped backwards with the momentum from the blow and landed neatly in a crouch, a good distance away. With a warcry she launched herself forward in a jump. Lind looked up, eyes widening, but she was moving too fast for him to get his sword in position. She thrust, activating her Sword Skill Lightning Sting, and before any of the viewers could see what happened Asuna landed in a crouch and rolled, rising to her feet. With a flourish, her rapier slid back into her sheathe.

Only then did she turn to look at Lind; the leader of the DKB had been pierced by her Lightning Sting, collapsing to the ground even as she watched, and the damage had been enough to drain his health down to below half. The duel ended, a fanfare announcing Asuna's complete victory. With a smile, she tossed her head, her hair dancing. "Weak, are we?" she asked archly, not waiting for Lind to answer before striding off to join the rest of her guild.

"Way to go, A-chan," Argo cheered, running up and giving Asuna a huge hug, nuzzling her head into Asuna's chest. "Ya really showed 'em how awesome ya are!"

Asuna patted Argo's back while also giving high-fives to the other girls. "You were so cool, Asuna!" Silica cheered, while Lisbeth grinned.

"Good job, Asuna," Kirito said, and Asuna smiled happily. Her cheeks felt red and she felt warm from the praise.

Leafa stretched, raising both of her hands over her head. Her back arched, and Asuna noticed Silica frowning in irritation a little bit. Well, she was young... "Looks like I'm up, Asuna."

"Good luck, Sugu." Asuna didn't think that she really needed to wish her luck, but it was still polite.

Kirito and Leafa went out to speak with the KOB delegate and explain what was going on. Meanwhile, Asuna took a much-needed rest with the other girls. "Hm..." Argo mused as she watched Kirito speak with Heathcliff. The older man replied with something that seemed to surprise Kirito and irritate Leafa, but Kirito rested his hand on his little sister's shoulder and retorted, shaking his head. Leafa's hackles lowered after a second and she folded her arms before scratching her cheek in what Asuna had termed 'Kirigaya Mannerism #1'.

"Ohoh?" Argo leaned forward and cupped her chin as Kirito and Heathcliff nodded to each other before leaving. After taking a few steps, Kirito turned back and said something to Leafa; the black-haired girl stared at him before clenching both fists and nodding rapidly. The sub-commander of the Knights of the Blood, a large bear of a man named Godfree, came out to stand across from Leafa instead. "Looks like they made some sort of deal. I figured Leafa'd be fightin' Heathcliff, but guess not. Hey, Kii-boy, what's goin' on?"

Kirito shrugged as he rejoined them. "Heathcliff offered to have his sub-commander fight with Leafa. He said he really wanted to fight against me, but that we could make it an exhibition match."

"Erk!" Argo groaned. "Gotta go tell Sachi an' th' boys ta make more bets, then."

Of course, Asuna sighed to herself. She might not have known Argo as long as Kirito had, but it felt like she'd known the incorrigible info broker for years, now, and it would have been more of a shock if Argo _hadn't_ found a way to make money off of these duels.

"She'll never change," Kirito said with a smile as Argo darted away, cloak flapping behind her.

Lisbeth grinned. "Would you want her to?"

"Of course not."

Asuna smiled, before turning her attention back to the duel. As she watched, the timer clicked down into the single digits. "Sugu seems fired up," she noted.

Kirito chuckled and scratched his cheek. "I might have promised her the two of us would go out sometime if she won without taking a hit, since she was upset she didn't get to fight Heathcliff."

"That'd do it," Lisbeth laughed.

Silica pouted. "I want to go out with Kirito," she muttered quietly, so quietly that Asuna wasn't sure she'd heard her. Pina cried and licked at her master's cheek. "Aw, thanks for trying to cheer me up, Pina," Silica giggled.

The fight, if it could even be _called_ that, was over even faster than Asuna's fight against Lind. Leafa just completely dismantled Godfree; he tried to get a few swings in with his heavy two-headed axe, but Leafa's skills at kendo and her Lisbeth-forged katana meant that he was entirely outclassed. With graceful blows coupled with fierce shouts, Leafa struck him down, ending the match with a slash that knocked Godfree's axe from his hands and sent it spinning through the air. The man grinned jovially as he raised his hands in the air. "I forfeit!" he called out.

Leafa shook hands with him before running back towards the Royal Blades. "I did it!" she cheered. "Kazuto, I won without taking a hit!"

"Good job, Leafa," he said, reaching out to ruffle her hair. Leafa giggled under the attention. "Guess that means I'm up."

Kirito walked off, just as Argo returned from having the Moonlit Black Cats and Fuurinkazan place the new bets. "Oh, Kii-boy's turn?" she asked.

"Aren't you worried?" Silica asked the info broker. Argo was grinning pretty confidently, unlike Asuna and the other girls.

Argo snickered and shook her head. "Nah. Why would I be?" She paused when the girls didn't answer. "Oh, that's right, ya weren't in th' beta with me an' Kii-boy," she snapped her fingers. "Kii-boy dueled a buncha times in the beta. An' ya know what?"

"What?" Lisbeth asked, clearly just playing along with the Rat's playfulness.

Argo winked at her in thanks before spreading her arms theatrically. "He never ever lost. Not even once."

* * *

Kirito approached Heathcliff, one hand operating his menu to equip his dual blades. "Looks like the Royal Blades won," he said, almost as a taunt.

"Very impressive," Heathcliff said, totally unphased by Kirito's words. "As agreed, the Royal Blades will be the official leaders of the front-line clearers." Kirito nodded once, satisfied even as a current of nerves twisted in his stomach. What if he screwed up and got people killed? He didn't... He didn't want anyone to die. If they died, wouldn't that mean it was his fault?

"Then isn't this kinda pointless?" Kirito asked. He knew the answer Heathcliff was going to give, of course -

"Perhaps," Heathcliff replied. He swiped open his menu and sent Kirito a duel request; a standard half-health duel. "But if you are the kind of person I think you are, the challenge itself will be enough."

Kirito couldn't help it, he laughed. "Yeah, you're right," he said as he slammed the Accept button. As the timer above his head ticked down, he unsheathed his dual swords. "But I don't get why you wanted to duel me."

"I've been looking for someone," Heathcliff said. Kirito's eyes narrowed. "The player who can be the hero of the story. Maybe you're the one."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kirito grinned tightly. "I'm just a regular player!"

The timer chimed, and Kirito immediately launched himself forward with the Vorpal Sword Skill. Heathcliff's eyes widened for an instant before his tower shield imposed itself between the two players. Kirito smashed into it with a crash, seeming to hang in the air for a second as his offense met Heathcliff's invulnerable defense, before he landed and slashed with his second sword. Heathcliff managed to get his shield in the way, but Kirito knew that no matter how powerful the shield, there was always _some_ sort of chip damage. As long as he didn't let up and kept hammering away, sooner or later he'd manage to crack through the guard!

 _Clang clang clang!_ No matter how hard he swung, Heathcliff's shield never let Kirito's sword through. Still, though, his health was slowly but surely draining. Kirito grinned as one of his thrusts finally shifted the shield a hair to the left. Not missing the chance, he spun on his heel, sand spraying up behind him, and activated a quick Sword Skill with little post-Skill delay. The wicked slash aimed for Heathcliff's ribs, guarded by the ruby armor - and Heathcliff just barely managed to back out of range, eyes widening slightly. Kirito smirked.

The grin didn't last long as Heathcliff brought his shield back and shoved forward, slamming the point into Kirito's stomach with the Shield Bash skill. He grunted, the blow knocking him off of his feet, but recovered in midair and spun, kicking off of the tower shield to land two heavy slashes in a cross across Heathcliff's chest. The KOB leader slid backwards from the impact and Kirito landed in the sand. He glanced at his HP, and then at the bar hovering next to Heathcliff's head. They were about the same...

Heathcliff slashed with his sword, but Kirito parried it with his dual blades, sparks flying. He broke the clash, knocking Heathcliff's blade away. When he tried to counter the attack, however, Heathcliff's shield was right there, blocking the horizontal slashes. The next time Heathcliff tried to slash Kirito with his greatsword, Kirito blocked the blow and swung his swords in the same pattern. Heathcliff's lips thinned as he moved to block - and his shield blocked his view of Kirito for the barest instant. As soon as he realized that, Kirito brought his leg up, his boots glowing blue with a Martial Arts Skill, Crescent Moon. The blow knocked Heathcliff's shield aside, and Kirito forced himself to complete the flip. He landed, and Heathcliff was still recovering. Kirito thrust forward, aiming for Heathcliff's heart - but Heathcliff was almost expecting it, somehow, and tilted his body before smashing Kirito to the side with the pommel of his sword.

Kirito slid to the side, gasping from the numbness in his side. Then he grimaced and tightened his grip on his swords. He wasn't about to lose! With a shout, he lunged at Heathcliff again, thrusting forward. He wasn't going to lose and make his guild look bad! Slash after slash was met by Heathcliff's shield, but Kirito didn't let up. He didn't use Sword Skills; they left him vulnerable, and if he wanted to win he couldn't lose even a second of damage. He wasn't going to let the girls down! The world seemed to disappear as his focus tightened more and more. All that he had to worry about beating Heathcliff!

 _He was going to make the girls proud!_

With a growl, Kirito swung his right sword - and it glowed bright yellow, the sign of an active Sword Skill. His sword slashed to the left, then twisted and slashed upwards, and Heathcliff's shield met the two blows. There wasn't any other option, and Kirito put all of his strength into the final hit of Savage Fulcrum. The downwards blow crashed down squarely on the flat of Heathcliff's shield, and the weight of the clash rippled out around them. Sand sprayed outwards, and Kirito hissed out a breath of disappointment as Heathcliff raised his sword over his head, the blade glowing red. That was his final shot…

Before either of them could move again, though, the timer buzzed. Kirito sprang back, swords at the ready - and when he looked up, the Winner symbol was hovering over his head. His HP had been a fraction higher than Heathcliff's when the time ran out. Kirito, breathing heavily, stared at it for a few seconds before a tired smile spread across his face. Heathcliff nodded to him once before sheathing his blade and turning to walk back to the Knights of the Blood members waiting in the wings.

Without thinking about it, Kirito twirled his swords in a flourish before sliding them into the paired sheaths on his back. As he turned, he had just enough time to react to the girls running towards him before Asuna and Leafa all but tackled him, both girls hugging him at the same time. He had just enough time to give the two of them hugs before Silica and Pina lunged next, nearly knocking him over. Lisbeth was more restrained in her congratulations, 'merely' smacking him on the back so hard he nearly lost HP. Finally, Argo leapt up on his back while Silica was still attached to the front, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Can... you let me go?" he asked. The girls, all too busy hugging him and celebrating their trio of victories, didn't listen. Lisbeth moved over to stand with Asuna, the two girls celebrating their win together with clasped palms, and Pina flew around the group as a whole, letting out cute cries of victory. In the end, Kirito just gave up and enjoyed the warmth of having the girls around him.

* * *

 **February 27th, 2023**

Leafa hummed to herself as she walked out to begin her morning practice. Normally she'd be training with her big brother, but right now Kirito was off with Silica and Argo. They'd been out all night and hadn't returned, so it must have been an overnight stay in a Safe Zone. She was just glad they were always prepared and had several sleeping bags in the guild storage. She'd only noticed two missing when she checked that morning, though, so she assumed the girls shared one. ...She was _pretty_ sure the girls shared one. She wouldn't put it past Argo to try sneaking into her brother's sleeping bag, but figured that Silica would definitely be against that.

She imagined Pina curled up on Kirito's pillow and giggled to herself.

"Morning, Leafa. Phwaah... I'm up so early..." Leafa looked over to see Lisbeth yawning and rubbing at her eyes in the early-morning light, standing on the front porch of their house and looking out at the sunrise.

Leafa blinked. "You are... Couldn't sleep?"

"Felt lonely in the bed, for some reason." Lisbeth giggled. "Guess I'm used to sharing with Argo already, huh?"

"Well, since you're up already, do you want to train with me?" Leafa offered.

Lisbeth yawned again, before shrugging. "Might as well. I'm already awake."

Leafa smiled. She'd really wanted to try training with Lisbeth one of these days. The pink-haired girl seemed like she'd be a fun fighter, and Leafa really wanted to get to know her better. "Let's go, then." She led the way, Lisbeth falling in behind her. In the early-morning air, it was a little chilly, but as Leafa ran through her morning workout, guiding Lisbeth through a few stretches, she warmed up right away. Drawing her training sword, a wooden katana exactly like the one she used back in the real world - it cost her a bit to get Agil to find someone willing to craft it, but it was worth it - Leafa stood in the training ring across from Lisbeth. "Ready?"

"Let's go!" Lisbeth held up her wooden buckler and braced herself. Leafa grinned; it would be a great time to practice against kendo against someone using a different fighting style. Sparring with her brother was great, but just not quite the same.

With a shout, Leafa raised her sword over her head and stepped forward, crossing the distance towards Lisbeth quickly. Not as fast as if she'd used a Sword Skill, but still fast enough that Lisbeth's eyes widened in surprise. The pink-haired girl ducked back and shoved her buckler into place as Leafa slashed horizontally. The wooden katana clacked against the shield and she immediately pulled back, sliding her blade around to the left. The tip whipped through the air and Lisbeth yelped with surprise as it just barely missed her ribs. "Ah! I'm sorry!" Leafa exclaimed, immediately stepping back to give her friend space. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Lisbeth said. "You just surprised me, that's all. I'm still ready to go if you are."

"If you say so," Leafa replied, raising her practice blade again.

This time she knew Lisbeth would be expecting the fast approach, so she took one step and waited. Lisbeth twitched but didn't fall back, and Leafa stepped forward again. She struck-

-She feinted with her blade, an abortive gesture to the left that Lisbeth fell for. Instead, Leafa twisted the blade and struck from the right instead, smacking solidly against her opponent's shoulder. Lisbeth winced as the _thwack_ echoed in the morning air, but before Leafa could pull back the blacksmith shoved the blade away with her shield. Leafa had to step to the side to keep her grip, translating the movement into a series of blows that Lisbeth met with her shield.

The final clash, Leafa stepped forward to lock against Lisbeth, pitting her strength against the blacksmith's. The two girls stared into each other's eyes, a fierce grin mirrored on both faces. Leafa enjoyed this part the most, where she got to get up close and personal. She always felt like she was connecting with her opponent, in that brief second when it was just them and their weapon.

But the instant passed and Leafa shoved, sliding underneath Lisbeth's buckler, before pulling up. The sudden tug shook Lisbeth and she stumbled on the dirt, nearly falling over. Before she could get her guard back up, Leafa took advantage of the opening and struck for the head, stopping the blade just before it struck.

Lisbeth froze, staring at the blunt edge of the sword, before she sighed and raised her hands in surrender. "You're really good at this," she said in admiration as Leafa offered her hand to help her stand. "How long have you been practicing, again?"

"For... seven, eight years now," Leafa said after a second of thought. "Kazuto's been helping me, but it's nice to spar against someone else from time to time."

"Do you compete?"

"Uh huh!" Leafa grinned. "I was even going to go to the nationals next year! Or, um... this year. Kazuto was going to come, too!"

Lisbeth laughed. "Well, when we get out of here and you go win nationals, let me know and I'll be there to cheer you on!"

Leafa and Lisbeth looked at each other and giggled happily. Yeah, Leafa knew, it _was_ 'when'. They were going to get out, no matter what. Her big brother had promised, and he'd never broken a promise to her yet. "Sure thing," Leafa said.

"Girls!" Asuna called out to them, standing halfway down the path. "Breakfast's ready!"

As the two packed their gear away and walked towards Asuna, Lisbeth called back, "Is it something good?"

"Of course," Asuna said with a knowing smile. "Don't tell Kazuto or the others, but I went all out today."

"Awesome!" Lisbeth cheered. Leafa let out a similar cheer and ran up to walk next to Asuna, smiling widely. She _loved_ it when Asuna made something special!

* * *

 **Hey! Check it out! Pina! Our favorite mascot is here, with our favorite dragon~. Silica is shaping up nicely into her final form, though really it's just a matter of getting better armor for the poor girl. I like to imagine she has a really nice helmet that is also specially forged by Liz to have the twin-tails exposed, with the little red baubles Kirito got her on full display. Can't hide that cuteness, now can we?**

 **From there, more guild politics… I really need to stop writing them, since I hate it, but it's also a good thing that leads into the main focus of the chapter – Asuna, Leafa, and Kirito kicking ass and taking names. Asuna beats Lind, Leafa beats Godfree, and Kirito timer-scams Heathcliff. …Good enough. Asuna is now in her final fancy outfit, by the way. Imagine her KoB equipment except the colors are mainly red (the color of her cloak red) with midnight blue trim. (Yes, I know block of detail text isn't good writing style, but rules are made to be broken and this is a style choice for a reason~. See if you can figure it out? (Hint: Kirito's the point of view character for that part))**

 **Finally, Liz vs. Leafa in a sparring match. It wasn't originally planned, and then Sugu decided she really wanted to fight, so I said sure, whatever, I'm not going to say no to her. Especially when it furthers my ultimate goals.**

 **And before anyone says it, because I** _ **know**_ **you will, yes something similar to the duels happened in Prince of Swords. Consider it an homage if you want; I very deliberately did not read that story while coming up with the plot points I wanted to hit so as to avoid stealing too many plot points, even by accident. As this story is more or less the same concept as that story (and yes, I know it's come back to life, no I'm not redoing all of my planning, no I don't care if you think I'm copying it) I don't think we need to harp on it too much mmkay?**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.**

* * *

She tucked her legs against her chest and curled into a ball, staring intently at the picture in front of her. A black-haired boy fought against an older man, two swords in his hand. The right sword clashed against the man's shield, sparks frozen in the instant of the picture.

He wasn't perfect, she realized, a new sense of drive filling her. That duel ended prematurely, but it still showed her that.

And that meant _he could be beaten_.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

* * *

 **March 9th, 2023**

Leafa stretched as she basked in the sunlight. It was rare for her not to wear her usual emerald-green equipment; instead, she was wearing a comfortable sundress that hung nicely on her. Beside her, Asuna kneeled on a picnic blanket in equally casual clothing, carefully setting out places for three people. They were sitting at the top of a hill on Floor 30, resting in one of the rare Safe Zones on the Floor; a large oak tree spread out over them, shading the very top of the hill. "It's been a while since we've been out together like this, isn't it?" the long-haired girl asked, her hair gently tousled by the light breeze.

Leafa sprawled out bonelessly, raising a hand to block out the sun in her eyes. "Kinda, yeah," she said. "I think the last time we had one like this was... a few years ago, when you graduated and moved on to high school. You made the sandwiches then, too, right?"

Asuna giggled. "I had to make some special spicy ones so Kazuto would be happy."

Together, the two girls looked over at the tree. Kirito looked back at them, arms folded behind his head as he rested comfortably against the trunk of the tree. The sunlight was dappled on his skin as it filtered through the leaves, leaving him mostly in shade except for the occasional beams of light as the leaves shifted in the wind. "And they were delicious," he said. "Thank you very much, Asuna."

"I'm surprised you're the one who wanted to take a break, Asuna," Leafa said, leaning her head back to stare at Asuna through her bangs, upside down. "Not to be mean, but you're always pushing forward. What made you want to relax for a while?"

Asuna smiled. "Something Silica said, actually. The two of us were talking, and she mentioned really wanting to eat watermelon in the summer. I guess it just stuck with me, and I couldn't help but want to go on a picnic."

"But it's not the summer," Kirito noted.

"Shh!" Leafa hissed at him playfully. "Don't tell her! She might not give us food!"

Kirito's eyes widened. No, anything but that, he thought with a grin. "In that case, bring on the heat," he said. "Summer's great."

Asuna shook her head. "You two," she said fondly. "Stop messing around."

The Kirigaya siblings laughed happily at her exasperated smile. It really was nice to just... have a day off from grinding, Kirito thought. He remembered what Lisbeth had told him, back a few months ago when they went shopping for ores; even if it wasn't anything that pushed them closer to clearing the game, it made him and the girls happy, so that was what mattered. For now, that was taking the morning and early afternoon off to go on an outing with his little sister and best friend, but in the future, who knew what he'd be doing? All he knew was that making them happy was a good enough goal as any, when he wasn't in battle.

Of course, those thoughts were idly passing through his head while he leaned back and relaxed, watching the sky and drowsing in and out of sleep. It was a really warm day out, and that was rare coming off of the heels of February, so he figured it'd be best to enjoy it while it lasted. The sky was blue, with only a few clouds in the sky... Yeah, today was a good day, Kirito decided.

One of the girls sat down next to him and leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder; Kirito couldn't tell, with his eyes closed, but with careful listening he was able to make an educated guess that it was his sister leaning on him. He could still hear the faint rustling sound of Asuna getting the picnic ready. He'd been trying to give her some space, ever since she complained about his face being too close - but now she was willingly sitting next to him, leaning against his shoulder? Kirito didn't understand what was going on in her head.

In any event, he didn't mind the closeness. Like that, the two of them rested in the shade together until Asuna finally called them over for lunch. He cracked one eye open and noticed that she was watching the two of them with a soft smile, and grinned faintly before gently nudging Leafa. She let out a small whine and hugged his arm in protest. "C'mon, Leafa, we've gotta go eat," he said, poking her cheek. It squished a little bit under his prodding.

"But I'm comfy here," she complained.

"The food's over there," he repeated. "I'll drag you if I have to."

"...Fine," Leafa grumped, puffing her cheeks out in feigned irritation before letting go and standing up. She brushed her skirt off and followed Kirito over to the picnic blanket.

Kirito sat down and started staring at the amazing spread in front of them. There was a salad, some fresh bread and cream - Kirito smiled as he remembered Asuna's face the first time he'd shown her how to eat bread with cream, and how she insisted on having a supply on hand at all times even if it meant going back down to the first Floor - and a wide variety of sandwiches. When he and Leafa reached for sandwiches, though, Asuna planted her hands on her hips. "Take your gloves off first," she scolded the two of them. "You know better than that."

"Okay," Kirito and Leafa chorused. He opened his menu and tapped, removing the fingerless gloves. Asuna nodded in satisfaction and took a seat, tucking her legs under herself neatly.

Kirito took one of the sandwiches and dug in with gusto, grinning as the first bite hit his taste buds. "Great as always, Asuna," he told her, and the girl blushed prettily.

"Yeah!" Leafa said. "These are amazing!"

Asuna just ducked her head and picked up a small loaf of bread, spreading cream across the top and taking a large bite with a cute _omf_ sound.

The three of them ate, chatting about little inconsequential subjects like who got the Last Attack bonus on the last dungeon boss or what kind of food Asuna should make for dinner. Kirito teased the girls about going out and buying new clothes for no real reason, which they'd done the week before - Leafa's sundress came from that shopping spree, he was pretty sure - and Asuna protested that it was important to have a wide variety of clothes, even for casual wear. Leafa nodded vehemently in agreement, and Kirito just raised his hands in playful surrender. The conversation drifted around aimlessly but naturally, the result of being so close for four, almost five years.

Eventually, after about an hour and long after all the food had been eaten - Leafa accidentally took one of Kirito's sandwiches by mistake, and he felt a _little_ bad about laughing when she started desperately gulping down water - the three of them packed up everything and headed back down. "That was delicious," Leafa said as they walked to town. "Thanks, Asuna!"

"It was no problem," the long-haired girl replied. "I had a lot of fun too."

"Maybe we should have a picnic with all of us sometime," Kirito suggested. Asuna and Leafa glanced at each other for a second, before Leafa shrugged.

"I'll see if Liz can help me in the kitchen," Asuna said. "Making enough food for all of us would take a while. And you definitely wouldn't be any help, Kazuto."

Kirito thought about protesting, but... no, she was probably right, he figured. He didn't have the Cooking Skill, either in SAO _or_ in the real world. There was a reason he relied on Asuna to do the cooking for the guild, after all. And it was only partially because everything she touched was delicious. Though, that was a lot of the reason. "I'll look forward to it," he said with a smile. "It'll be fun to spend time with everyone, and I'm sure whatever you make will be delicious."

When she smiled at him like that, Kirito thought idly, Asuna was really cute... A-and that was a totally unbiased opinion as her best friend, of course! And Argo said that kind of thing out loud, so it was okay!

"What are the others doing today, anyway?" Leafa asked curiously as they walked through town. Fortunately, it was the middle of the afternoon so most of the players were out leveling up, and they were wearing casual clothes as well. Nobody they passed seemed to give them so much as a second look.

Asuna tapped her cheek and tilted her head in thought for a second before replying, "Argo said she had some info broker business to attend to, and Liz and Silica went out to spend the morning together... I'm not sure what they were doing, though."

"Liz mentioned finding a questline that took place in a bathhouse," Leafa said. Kirito grinned as Asuna twitched, blazing desire barely kept off of her face by what he knew to be a super-human exertion of will. He could still see it in her eyes, though. "She and Silica might be there."

"I think she just got a new swimsuit, too," Kirito added. Asuna twitched again.

"And how come you know _that_ , Kazuto?" Leafa grumbled, glaring at him flatly out of the corner of her eyes.

"B-Because I listen to all of you!" he exclaimed, waving his hands. "She mentioned it at dinner a few nights ago! That's it!" He wasn't going to... peep on them or anything! No matter how many times Argo would sidle up to him and offer to sell information on the girls, including their three measurements somehow, he wasn't going to sink to that level. Even if the information was only about the whiskered info broker!

"Mm-hmm..." Leafa hummed dubiously, staring at him suspiciously. Kirito chuckled weakly and scratched at his cheek.

Asuna giggled. "Oh, stop teasing Kazuto, Sugu. You know he wouldn't do that."

"...You're right, he wouldn't," Leafa said after a second, leaning back and clasping her hands behind her back. Kirito shook his head with a rueful smile as both girls laughed cheerfully. He didn't mind them teasing him, of course - he wouldn't be in a guild with Argo if he was worried about something like that.

When they returned to the guild home, Kirito was surprised to see Argo standing outside. What was even _more_ surprising was that she wasn't alone; normally, that wouldn't be a cause for surprise since she always had some of the members of her information network she called her Mice coming and going with information. However, Kirito didn't recognize the two players standing in front of her. They were both dressed entirely in black - a small part of him whispered that he couldn't really judge - and had curved swords hanging off of their hips. Something about them seemed familiar... "...Thankies for lettin' me know," Argo sighed as the three players approached her. "I'll handle it. Oh, hey! Kii-boy, A-chan, Leafa, welcome home."

The two players she was talking turned around. Then, abruptly, they both knelt down, one knee and one fist on the ground. "My lord," they chorused. "Lady Asuna, Lady Leafa. May you continue to be in good health."

"Uh..." Leafa said slowly. "...Thanks?"

The overly-formal address was familiar, and after thinking about it for a second Kirito remembered where he recognized those two players. They were the ninja role players, back from all the way down on the second Floor. They'd harassed Argo about the Martial Arts skills, but retreated once she hid behind him. But why were they here? ...And calling him 'my lord'? What did Argo _do_? "Alright, go on, get outta here," Argo said, clapping twice. "We got guild stuff ta handle." The ninjas rose and bowed politely to her before dashing off, fading away as they activated their Hiding Skills. Even in broad daylight, Kirito lost track of where they were swiftly. Before too long, they were standing alone in the yard.

Kirito opened his mouth to ask a question, but Argo simply placed a slender finger on his lips to keep him quiet. "Shh," she said. "No questions. Only silence. I'll explain once everyone's here, 'kay?"

"Sure," he said, a little surprised by the feeling of her finger on his mouth. Her hand was cool. "Asuna, would you mind making us something to drink?"

"I'll go put some tea on," his friend said. "Argo, could you come help me?"

The whiskered girl snickered and winked at Kirito before twirling around and following Asuna as she headed for the door. "Comin', A-chan~. Love ta spend time with ya, y'know."

Kirito shook his head. Argo's moods were mercurial, but her wry, teasing grin was omnipresent. "Guess we get to relax, Kazuto," Leafa said as they walked into the house at a more sedate pace, taking a seat on the couch. Kirito expected her to sit on the other couch, so when she immediately snagged the cushion to his right, leaning against his side while hugging one of the colorful pillows to her chest happily, he was a little surprised. In the end, though, it wasn't a big deal, so he didn't mind all that much. If his little sister felt like cuddling, well, he wasn't going to say no. He'd thought she _wanted_ him to give her space, but maybe he'd thought wrong. Who knew.

Leafa coughed, and he glanced at her. She glanced at him, and then her eyes darted upwards before going back to him. This repeated a few times before Kirito hesitantly lifted his hand and placed it on her head. Almost instantly, she sighed happily and leaned against his side. Gently patting her head, Kirito leaned back and let himself relax fully.

Like before, he was drifting in and out of sleep, his hand idly patting Leafa as the two of them dozed on the couch. When someone sat down beside him, though, he blinked, back to full alertness. "Hey, Silica," he said with a smile. The twin-tailed girl smiled back at him. She started to reach over for something, before pulling her hand back and shaking her head rapidly, cheeks red. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, so kindly didn't bring it up. It didn't seem to matter since Silica didn't say a word, she just got comfortable against the arm of the couch, Pina landing in her lap and curling up.

"Great, everyone's here," Lisbeth said as she took a seat on the other couch. "Hey, Argo? Wanna tell us why we had to cut our quest short?"

"Hey, Leafa," Kirito said quietly, shaking his sister a little. "Time to focus."

"Munya..."

"This is important," he told her. His sister wasn't quite an accomplished napper just yet, so she rubbed her eyes blearily before shifting away from him. That was the second time that day... Maybe he should spend some time sleeping with her to teach her proper napping technique?

Asuna and Argo entered, both girls carrying tea trays. Asuna set hers down and started pouring tea from the elegant glass teapot into the cups, while Argo handed out the filled cups to the other members of the Royal Blades. Kirito smiled as he looked at the teapot, with fancy leaf patterns on the glass; Asuna had been over the moon when they purchased it, her eyes sparkling with joy. Once everyone was served, Asuna took a seat next to Lisbeth while Argo cradled a cup of tea in her hands standing up.

"'Kay, so, sorry for th' short notice," Argo said after sipping her tea. "If I could, I woulda tried ta delay things an' make sure everythin' was set up prop'rly, but I couldn't. Anyway, down ta business. Ya know how th' Black Cats got in trouble 'cause 'a bad info? An' how th' 25th Floor was..."

"The 25th Floor's boss fight was a mess?" Asuna finished for her.

Argo shrugged. "I was gonna call it a shitshow, but mess works too. So, I've had my Mice snoopin' around ta see if there was a common thread. Once is an accident, twice is the enemy, y'know?"

Silica frowned. "I thought... Wait, isn't there supposed to be more to that saying?"

"I think it's 'Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is enemy action,'" Lisbeth said.

"Whatever," Argo said, dismissively waving her hand. "Either way, I figured there might be some bad info broker tryin' ta make money off 'a wrong info. I wasn' able ta find out anythin' about th' 25th Floor, still empty on that, but I _did_ manage ta discover information 'bout somethin' else related ta bad info."

"You did?!" Asuna exclaimed.

Leafa shook her head. "You'd think people would have learned about trying to sell bad information after what happened to that guy pretending to be Argo back on the first Floor." She shuddered, just from thinking about what Argo had done to the poor bastard.

"At least they're not tryin' ta use _my_ name this time," Argo growled. "Instead... Hey, what do ya know about orange guilds?"

"Orange guilds?" Silica asked blankly.

Kirito smiled and looked over at her. "It's based on the color of the player cursor." Silica tilted her head, totally confused, and he pointed over his head. "See here, where there's a green crystal over my head? Same with the others."

Silica's eyes darted over his head before she nodded. "Oh, so _that's_ what it is. But... what does it mean?"

"It's a mechanic that came up more in the beta," Argo told her. "If a player commits a crime, their cursor turns orange. Hurtin' another green player, stealin', ya get th' picture. The first few times it goes orange, ya can wait out a timer or clear a quest, but after a while it's permanent. Anyone with orange cursors can't enter towns, the guards'll chase 'em out. An' that's -"

"No charging guild members for info, Argo," Kirito said instantly.

Argo pouted in defeat, but cleared her throat. "Yeah, yeah, whatever ya say, Black Prince." This time it was Kirito's turn to stare dully at her, and she smirked. "Anyway, a orange guild is a guild of thieves an' players that steal from other players. Nasty pieces of work. They're not _real_ guilds in th' system, like us, but it's close enough for th' word ta work. So, the issue is that for a few weeks now a buncha newbies have been funneled towards a guild that calls itself Rafflesia. Someone keeps pointin' em to easy dungeons that _sound_ great on paper, so the newbs run through a dungeon an' grind up a lot of money, then the orange guild ambushes 'em at the end and steals the col an' rare items dropped along the way."

"Those jerks!" Leafa exclaimed. Kirito had to lean his head out of the way as she sat forward, her fists clenched with righteous anger. "We're gonna teach them a lesson, right, Kazuto?!"

"Like Leafa's sayin', this's where we come in," Argo said. "As number one info broker in Aincrad, it's kinda my job ta deal wit' the bad apples. So, since this is 'bout info, an' someone workin' with a orange guild, we gotta handle it."

"I'm not saying no," Kirito said. "I think you have a point, and knowing about it means we're responsible about doing something. But... how has no front-liner done anything yet?"

Argo shrugged. "The orange guild's pretty visible, which is how it got passed up the grapevine to me, but Rafflesia's also really good at hidin', funny enough. If a front-line player or even a mid-level player joins the quest, they somehow know not ta attack. Even when the high-level players join up halfway through, or use a newb as decoys, Rafflesia cheeses it. Basically, if we wanna find them, we're gonna have ta go without anyone figurin' out it's us."

Asuna coughed politely, placing her cup back on its saucer with a quiet _clink_. "That's important," she said, "but how will we do that? We're... not exactly the most unknown players..."

Silica stroked Pina, and the little dragon yawned. Lisbeth twirled a lock of her pink hair, and Leafa stretched her arms over her head. "Maybe ya got a point," Argo said slowly, scratching her whiskered cheeks. "But! I have an idea!"

"Oh yeah?" Kirito asked. "What?"

She grinned. For some reason, Kirito wasn't sure he liked that smile. Maybe because every time he saw it, it caused trouble for him... "You'll see," she said, almost ominously before clapping briskly. "Alright! Kii-boy, gals! We're goin' to the Shoppin' District!"

...

Kirito sighed the long-suffering sigh of boys dragged along to go shopping with their female friends. "It's not like I'm not used to this," he said, "but would you _please_ explain where we're going?"

Argo just laughed. "Nya hah hah! You'll find out when we get there, Kii-boy, stop whinin'!"

Since this was the third time she'd said a repetition of the exact same answer, Kirito shook his head. He wasn't going to get a straight response out of her until they got wherever the girl was leading them, it seemed. The members of the Royal Blades were walking together in their casual clothes; it was the best way they could avoid people noticing them out and about, even if Kirito did notice a few people giving their group second looks. Then again, that was more or less unavoidable when a group of five girls as pretty as his friends were walking around together.

Right then, they were walking down the main street of Floor 20, a good distance from the front lines. However, they were on the Floor for a reason; that being, it was the center of almost every player-run store that specialized in more artisan designs. Things like a blacksmith shop required certain locations near rivers so that it could power waterwheels that in turn powered their huge furnaces - Kirito knew that because Lisbeth had started looking into things for the future and liked telling him about what she learned - but tailor shops and accessory boutiques didn't require hardware like that, so they could set up wherever they wanted.

As a result, Floor 20 became home to most of the shops, and for good reason. Called the Faerie Garden by the players, the main town of the Floor was breathtakingly beautiful, the paths and roads lined with trees and flowers. It was like the town was built around nature, highlighting its beauty wherever possible. The buildings were all made from a white wood with green ivy climbing around the walls in artistic patterns.

"Seriously, why am I here?" Kirito asked.

Argo turned around to walk backwards and face Kirito, somehow still following the twisting and winding path unerringly. "'Cause I'm callin' in that favor ya owe me, Kii-boy~."

Kirito sighed. He _could_ call in his own favor and make her tell him, but on the other hand he would find out soon enough. A favor with Argo was rare currency indeed, so he didn't want to waste it.

Argo led the way before stopping right below a shop. Asuna and the others took one look at the sign hanging over the door, decorated with a thread and needle, and let out short breaths of understanding. "Ashley's, huh?" Kirito mused.

"Yep~," Argo said with a cat-like grin.

"How'd you manage that?"

"Never underestimate a gal's secrets," Argo grinned. Kirito shook his head with a smile. It was probably something silly like asking the tailor to make something interesting. "Now let's go, time's wastin'!"

She pushed at Kirito's back, shoving him forward towards the door. With a sigh, Kirito opened the door, the bell above jingling to announce his arrival, and stepped inside. The girls filed in along with him and, as he expected, immediately went about window shopping.

Ashley, the owner of the store, was the first player in the game to have master the Tailoring and Sewing Skills. As a result, she could make incredibly comfortable clothes; in fact, both the casual clothes and the formal uniforms of the Royal Blades's main members had been purchased from her. Because she was so famous, though, she was able to pick and choose her clients, and rumor had it that she only took orders that caught her interest. Kirito was morbidly curious what project had Ashley so interested that she was willing to help them out.

The door to the back room opened, and Ashley swept out in a flurry. Immediately, and like always, Kirito's first impression of the woman was 'fashion diva'. She was wearing a well-made dress with a jacket on top, a thick fur collar draped around her neck and down her chest. Ashley even had enough money to afford two different hair dyes, so her short, artfully tousled hair was mostly blonde except for a single lock of purple sweeping to frame the left side of her face. With what Kirito assumed to be tasteful eyeshadow, she cut an imposing figure to anyone that didn't know her.

"Ah, the Royal Blades, my favorite VIP customers," she said, grandly sweeping over to them. "Welcome, welcome. Asuna, you're looking lovely. Argo, dear, what did I tell you about that cloak and hood? They hide your best features. And Lisbeth and Silica, you two are cute as can be. I adore the pink hair, and those twin-tails are perfect for you. Leafa, we need to do something with your hair, those clips are adorable but we can do better. Hmm, Kirito, are you eating well? You look thin."

"Asuna's been making plenty of food for breakfast," he said faithfully, even as Ashley swept around the six players like a hurricane, fussing over each of them in turn. He knew she would sit him down and make him eat something if he 'wasn't eating enough' or something like that, no matter how pressed for time they were. Ashley was like that; cold and business-like at first, but once she decided she liked you, she was very warm. He would say she was like Argo, but Ashley was almost motherly, in a way he'd never seen Argo act like.

"He eats jerky for breakfast sometimes," Silica piped up, giggling when Kirito sent her a betrayed look. "...But only when we were out overnight and couldn't sleep in our house."

Ashley looked him over one last time before nodding in satisfaction and cupping one elbow as she waved the other hand. "So, Argo, this project of yours, which one is my model?"

Argo grinned. "It's Kii-boy~." She darted over and pushed Kirito forward. "So, whatcha think?"

"Hmm... Stand still, let me look..." Ashley cupped Kirito's chin and gave him a thorough once-over. "Yes... Yes, I can work with this. And I have the perfect idea."

"Uh, Argo? What's she talking about?"

"Don' worry 'bout it, Kii-boy."

And with Argo's cheerful dismissal, Kirito was almost forcibly dragged into the back room as Ashley turned and headed back, catching him by the hand. It felt like hands of darkness reached out and grabbed onto him, dragging him backwards despite any protest he might have tried to make. The last thing he saw before the door slammed shut was Argo waving, a wide smirk on her face while the other girls watched on in a mix of confusion and slight worry.

...

"Hmm..." Ashley's footsteps circled Kirito for the umpteenth time, and he tried not to sigh. With his eyes closed he couldn't tell what she'd chosen for him to wear, but it had taken a really, really long time. " _Hmmm..._ Mm, yes, this will do nicely. Alright, Kirito, you may open your eyes now."

Finally, he thought to himself, before he opened his eyes. It took them a second to focus on the mirrors in front of him, and then he saw -

And the look... Kirito raised a hand, and watched the figure in the mirror do the same. The chairs in the mirror, as well as everything else in the room, matched, so the reflection was right. "That's... me?" he breathed.

"Some of my finest work, if I say so," Ashley nodded with satisfaction.

"No way..."

With the work Ashley had done, Kirito could safely say that the orange guild, or even the info broker, wouldn't be able to recognize him as Kirito, the Black Prince and leader of the strongest guild, the Royal Blades. On the other hand, he could also safely say that the orange guild, the info broker, and any player in the game wouldn't be able to recognize him as a _boy_.

The figure in the mirror staring back at him, wide-eyed, was unmistakably a girl. She was wearing a stylish black dress that started at the chest and fell to about mid-thigh, leaving a strip of skin exposed before white stockings started, leading down to rather cute-looking flats with a ribbon on the side of the strap. The ruffles on the top of the dress hid her chest, providing the illusion of _something_ being there, while the waist swept inwards before ending in more frills. In addition to the dress, she was wearing a cute coat with lacy cuffs ending so high up the wrist they were practically on the lower arm; it extended down to below her knees, exactly the way Kirito wore his. A bow hung cutely on the side of the coat where her waist was, along with more frills for decoration.

"Ah, wait..." Ashley stared at Kirito before reaching out and carefully adjusting a single lock of hair, tugging at it until it shifted just a fraction of a centimeter. "There we are, perfect." She tapped at her menu, confirming the style and locking it in. After doing that, no matter how hard Kirito fought his hair would always fall naturally back to its current look. Long straight hair tumbled down his back, all the way down to his waist. There weren't any hair decorations in his hair, but somehow, combined with the cute waves and careful arrangement of locks of hair, that made the femininity even more apparent.

"I..." Kirito's mouth moved silently, and the girl in the mirror did the same. No matter what he did, Kirito had to accept it - the girl in the mirror was, in fact, him. When he raised his hand to his throat, his fingers touched the choker with a pink rose Ashley had used to hide his throat and he watched the girl in the mirror raise her slender, feminine hand to the pink rose around her neck.

Ashley nodded once more before turning to the door. Kirito was so busy staring at his own reflection that he didn't realize what she was doing until she threw the door open and announced, "Alright girls, come take a look at my masterpiece!"

"Wait, no-!"

But Kirito's protests fell on deaf ears as the rest of his guild members spilled in almost instantly. When they saw the transformed and disguised Kirito, perched almost nervously on the chair in front of them, all of the girls froze. For about three heartbeats, the room was entirely quiet - and then the girls _squealed_ in joy, their eyes lighting up as blushes spilled across every girl's cheeks. "Aaaah!" they all exclaimed. "So cuuuute!"

Ashley had added just the right amount of makeup - not too much, but noticeable if one looked closely - to draw attention to Kirito's feminine features while hiding the masculine ones. He hated to admit it, but thanks to Ashley's hard work Kirito knew he would rank up there in the ranks of cutest girls in the game. Naturally, the girls in the Royal Blades were the top five on the list, but the girl sitting in Ashley's chair was a strong contender for number six. And, judging by their reactions, they agreed with his private thoughts about how he looked.

Asuna practically teleported from where she was standing to wrap her arms around Kirito from behind, all but draping herself over him as she rubbed her cheek against him. "Kazuto, you look adorable!" she cooed.

"Hey, stop!" Kirito complained, but Asuna kept a tight grip and he couldn't possibly escape. "Asuna!"

"This... This was way more than I thought was possible," Lisbeth mumbled as she stared at Kirito, a small smirk hiding behind her raised hand. She was blushing a little bit.

Silica smiled at Kirito. "You look really pretty, Kirito! How does it feel?"

"Kinda breezy..." Kirito admitted.

Argo grinned. "Eh, ya get used ta it. Just wait a lil' bit an' it'll feel totally natural."

"I don't want to get used to it!"

"You have to dress like this when we get back to the real world, Kazuto!" Asuna told him, with no room to argue in her voice. "I can't wait to see it in real life!"

Oh no, Kirito thought, he recognized that look in her eyes. One way or another, she was going to get her way. Kirito exclaimed, "I only did this because Argo asked!"

Argo snickered. "Oh, so you'll do it for me, Kii-boy? I'm sure me an' A-chan can work somethin' out, if yer into this sorta thing."

"I'm not! This is for today only!"

A cat-like smirk spread over Argo's face. "Unless ya ever owe me another favor..."

Abruptly and entirely without warning, Leafa crouched down and lifted Kirito's dress up, exposing the underwear he was wearing to all the girls. Immediately, Kirito yelped and twitched in Asuna's arms, face burning from embarrassment, and a buzzer rang out. Leafa froze in place, confusion on her face, and a screen popped up in front of Kirito. "Hey! I can't move!" she said through gritted teeth. She'd managed to trigger the Sexual Harassment code; if Kirito wanted, he could tap the prompt and have his sister sent to the Black Iron Palace, the jail in the game. "K-Kazuto! Do something!"

He reached out and tapped the prompt, and Leafa relaxed as the paralysis left her. "N-Nice choice," Argo said, a drop of blood dripping down from her nose. "Black suits you. R-Really cute. Wish I had my crystal..."

"Awawawa..." Silica mumbled, her eyes spinning. "I just saw Kirito's..."

"Argo, don't tease me!"

"Seriously, what were you thinking?" Lisbeth scolded Leafa lightly. "Sexual harassment is not okay, even if he is your brother!"

"It's not like that," Leafa shrugged helplessly. "I wanted to know! I didn't think a quick peek would get me in trouble!"

Lisbeth's 'anger' disappeared as she grinned smugly. "Speaking of peeking, what does Kirito have under his bed? C'mon, every guy's got a hidden stash, your brother's no different."

"A bunch of-" As soon as the question registered, Leafa hurriedly waved her hands. "N-no! I-I mean, I've never seen anything like that under his bed, haha..." Kirito hung his head as Asuna's arms tightened around him. Thank you for protecting your big brother's secrets, Leafa, he thought.

Ashley cleared her throat, and the girls' lively chatter died off. "I'm glad you're all having fun, but we _do_ have to get things done. Go on, shoo." She ushered the girls - and Kirito, though he might _be_ one of the girls for the time being - out, though Asuna steadfastly refused to remove her arms from around Kirito's waist, her chin resting on his shoulder. "Ah ah ah, not you, Argo," she said, catching the mousy girl by the hood. "It's _your_ turn, now."

Kirito had never seen Argo's expression go from smugly amused at his plight to 'Oh no actually please help' that fast, but some small part of him felt she deserved it. Then, as the door closed, Asuna and the others started fussing over his new appearance again and he couldn't pay attention to anything other than making sure all of his clothes stayed in place.

...

After somehow managing to get Asuna to let him go - and suffering through a few pictures, after the girls promised to never share them, ever - Kirito and Argo headed down to Floor 12 in order to make their way to the meeting place. Argo had used some of her contacts to arrange for 'Alice' and 'Kana' to join the quests, and so the two of them were on their way, walking down the dirt path in the early spring sun.

Kirito watched, almost a little bemused, as Argo hummed happily, arms swinging back and forth as she _skipped_ down the path in front of him. Argo, _skipping_. He'd seen her do a lot of things, while they were in the guild together - cling to him because she didn't want to walk, sneak around, even run across water in one impressive display of her agility. However, he'd never seen her _skip_.

Maybe it was because of her own 'disguise', courtesy of Ashley's miracle work; instead of transforming her gender, like she'd done with Kirito, Ashley had simply chosen to hide what made Argo look like Argo in the eyes of most players. Despite Argo's protests, the whiskers had come off, revealing her bare cheeks; her bare face, he realized, really made her look mature... Was she older than he was? Her eyes took on more of a grown-up edge when she didn't have the whiskers painted on her cheeks to distract from them. In addition to removing the makeup, Ashley had strictly forbidden Argo from wearing any equipment that so much as hinted at a hood. Instead, she was wearing a forest green tunic and skirt that left a little bit of her toned stomach bare. After that, Ashley hadn't needed to much more than artfully tousle Argo's hair with a brush and comb, and it was like he was walking with a totally different person.

Would that make her act this different? Kirito wondered. He wasn't acting any different, despite his new look, was he? So why, then...? He didn't realize he was so deep in thought until a slender finger booped him on the nose. "Hiya, Kii- Alice," Argo said with a grin. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"You," he replied without thinking.

Argo blushed a little bit, but didn't lose the grin. "Nya hah hah! So, whatcha think? Cute, ain't I?"

Kirito tilted his head, feeling the foreign feeling of long hair shift at the action, and nodded. "Yeah, you look cute in that."

 _That_ comment made Argo cough and stumble, nearly tripping as her eyes widened. "I, um..." After a second, she shook her head and smacked her cheeks. "Nya hah hah, yer quite the sweet talker, Alice. A gal might get worried 'bout bein' alone with ya." Kirito just blinked at her, confused. What was she talking about? With another inscrutable smile, Argo turned around and started walking the correct way, sliding over to stand next to Kirito.

The humming he could hear coming from her wasn't quite unexpected, but when he looked over he could see an unfamiliar smile on her lips. "Argo," he said before thinking it through, "is something wrong?"

"Eh? An' it's Kana, while I'm in disguise."

"It's just..." He waved his hand. "You've been acting differently, since we got to this Floor."

Argo raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Is that bad?"

Kirito shook his head. "Not bad. Just different."

"Different, huh? Hmm..." With a smile, Argo twirled around, her skirt flaring briefly, before she stood in front of him. "Pop quiz, Alice," she said. "Which Argo makes ya the happiest? This one? Or th' original Argo? Or maybe I should wear a maid outfit an' call ya 'Master'?"

Somehow, Kirito could feel that the question was a delicate one, and that just giving a simple answer wouldn't be enough. So, he thought about what she asked, and decided on what exactly his answer should be. "I think the Argo that makes me happiest," he said, and Argo tensed almost imperceptibly, "is whatever version of Argo _Argo_ wants to be. If that's this look, how you normally appear, o-or even a maid... As long as you like it, I will too." He smiled at her. "You're my friend, Argo. I want you to be happy, and I'll do anything to make that happen."

Argo's jaw dropped sometime during Kirito's mini-speech, and her mouth moved as she tried and failed to come up with words to say. Slowly, a bright red flush crept up over her neck, higher and higher until her entire face was as crimson as a cherry. Without any words, Argo crept forward and buried her face in Kirito's chest, hugging him tightly with her arms clutching at his back. "...Not fair," she muttered. "An' I showed ya my face without whiskers, an' then ya say somethin' like _that..._ "

"Argo?"

"Jus'... Lemme stay like this for a bit, 'kay?"

"Alright," he said gently, resting his hand on her head and gently stroking her hair. At first, he felt her hands clutch at his shirt as she nuzzled against his chest, clearly trying desperately to control her blush. Then, after about a minute, her posture shifted slightly, and the hands started drifting south - "Okay, Kana," he said in a hurry. "We should get going, or we won't make it to the town in time!"

Argo's hands froze before she reluctantly stepped away. "Aw," she complained, clicking her tongue in disappointment. "But ya got a point, so... Fiiiiine." She dragged out the last word before starting to walk next to him again. Kirito's eyes widened as a small hand slipped into his, and he glanced down at Argo. "What?" she asked defensively, not looking at him. "We're both gals, Alice, there's nothin' wrong with holdin' hands."

Kirito just smiled and scratched his cheek, not saying anything. His little sister would always say the same thing when he went out with her... The holding hands part! Not that they were both girls! No matter what some of the people at the summer festivals thought.

* * *

Okay, so maaaaaybe she was acting a little bubbly. If anyone asked, she was blaming it on the chance to be someone else. Still, Argo could barely keep the huge smile off of her face. She was having a lot of fun, running around with Kirito like this. Maybe it was because she got to be someone else for a while? Or maybe it was because Kirito looked so _totally adorable_ dressed like that. She just wanted to keep hugging 'Alice' forever and never let go. It was like he was _trying_ to hit all of her buttons!

When they reached the town where she'd heard the mole was prowling that day, Kirito coughed. "People are looking," he whispered to her as the two 'girls' walked down the street.

"Let 'em," Argo said with a grin. "All they're seein' is two cute gals holdin' hands. 'Sides, better they remember us for that than wonderin' if we're in disguise or somethin'."

"...You have a point," Kirito admitted grudgingly. Argo just grinned and kept holding his hand. What? Her? Have multiple goals with any action? Nah, never! "But what do we do about my voice? I don't sound like a girl, so people will know immediately..."

"Jus' let me do the talkin', Alice," she said with a wink. "You jus' focus on actin' like a shy, blushin' gal, an' I'll take care 'a ya."

"Argo!" he squeaked, going a little red.

"Yeah, 'xactly like that! See, yer a natural."

"...I'm never dressing like this again."

"Never again's a long time~. An' that's a shame, ya look really cute."

Their little chat ended as they made it to the main street and started walking through the town itself. Argo had teased Kirito about the looks they were getting, but that was pretty much entirely the point; they _wanted_ to be noticed, so that whoever the mole was - unfortunately, her network of informants and spies couldn't get her the identity, or even what they looked like - would choose them as their next mark.

To that end, she'd instructed Lisbeth on making them some new equipment. Kirito had swapped to a single one-handed sword, and Argo was using a dagger. Both of them were wearing light metal breastplates, the sort of thing a dedicated pair might use if they trusted the other player with their life and didn't need to worry too much about defense. More importantly, it _looked_ nice and powerful, but once she'd coupled it with the admittedly simple clothes it gave them the look of two girls that wanted to be safe so much that they'd gone up to the front lines and paid a player blacksmith to make them fancy equipment.

In other words, low level but pretty rich. Hopefully, their mark's ideal prey.

Argo and Kirito both stopped when a player stopped in front of them. "Excuse me, girls," he said. Argo glanced over him, inwardly raising an eyebrow. He was generically forgettable, Argo decided; you could be meeting him for lunch, but until he sat down in front of you, it would be impossible to pick him out of a line-up. His _voice_ even sounded average - not too high, and not too low. "Sorry to bother you, but... you two are partners, right?"

"Yep!" Argo said in a bright chirp, deliberately flattening out her accent. "It's just me and Alice. I think we're doing alright by ourselves, though. So if you're trying to get us to join your party -"

"No, no, nothing like that," he said hurriedly. "I just... Sorry, I screwed this up totally, didn't I?" If Argo wasn't pretty sure he'd intended to talk to them like this from the beginning, she might have actually bought the way he rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly. He wasn't as cute as Kirito when he did that, though, so Argo wasn't affected. "Let me start over. My name's Mystiltainn. I just couldn't help but notice you walking." He chuckled. "Uh, I don't mean that in a creepy way, promise. It's just that two girls like you stick out, you know?"

Argo blinked at him, then looked down to where she was still holding Kirito's hand. "Well, Alice here _is_ pretty cute," she said shamelessly, grinning at him. "Guess I can't blame people for staring at her, right?" She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Kirito's waist.

He grinned. "Of course not."

"But, she's a little shy," Argo continued. "So I'm taking good care of her." Her eyes gleamed, and the man blinked before his eyes widened in surprise. Kirito shifted in Argo's grip, and she cheerfully nuzzled against his side before letting go. "But that's not important. Did you want something?"

Mystiltainn visibly shook himself and coughed. "Right. Um. Yeah, like I was going to say, I couldn't help but notice your equipment." Argo glanced at herself and at Kirito, then back at the man. "Are you looking for places to level?"

"Yeah," Argo said, sighing melodramatically. "Alice and I bought all this equipment from a player blacksmith, so our gear's good, but we need to get our level up a bit. You... You wouldn't happen to know a good dungeon, would you?" She deliberately poured on the charm, batting her eyelashes at him.

When he grinned, she knew he'd taken the bait. "Actually, I might know something," he said.

"Really? That's great!" She smiled happily. "Don't you think, Alice?"

"Yeah it is, Kana," Kirito said. Argo hid a smile at how he managed to get his voice pitched higher. Since he'd half-whispered the few words, it sounded almost exactly like a shy girl. Nya hah hah, she laughed internally, she was _so_ going to tease him about that later!

"Great!" Mystiltainn said with a grin. "We need to help each other out in this game, after all. So, here's how you get to the dungeon..."

After he finished giving them the directions, he waved at them and walked away. Argo waved back, Kirito's hand moving a little bit in the air, before the girl and crossdressed boy headed off, following the directions they'd been given. Argo actually knew what dungeon he'd guided them to, and the instructions actually routed the players around the most dangerous mobs between the town and the entrance to the dungeon, the Golden Field Path.

"Keep up the act until we're in the dungeon proper," Argo whispered to Kirito.

"They're following us?" he whispered back, his hot breath tickling her ear.

Ignoring the sensation that sent a pleasant shiver up her spine - this was _work_ time, young lady, focus! she scolded herself - she replied, "Yeah. Someone is, at least." Their Sneaking Skill was high, but Argo wasn't Argo the Rat for nothing! Her passive Searching Skill had picked something up, and a few careful twirls under the pretense of hugging and facing Kirito on the way had let her pick out a figure, even if she hadn't been able to identify the exact player who'd been following them. She was pretty sure it was Mystiltainn, though. It would make sense; he'd message Rafflesia, who were probably waiting near the entrance to the dungeon, if the players he sent swapped with front-liners.

"Though, Kana," Kirito said softly, and she looked at him curiously, "I'd appreciate some more warning the next time you tell people we're dating."

"Nya hah hah," Argo laughed shamelessly. "What, are you saying you wouldn't want to date me?"

"Just that I'd appreciate not being surprised by the claim," Kirito sighed. Argo shrugged. She didn't really think it mattered all that much. Kirito hadn't really said he was upset, after all, so that meant it was okay. And if she'd asked permission first, it would have looked weird.

They headed into the dungeon, an open, airy place with a clearly defined path to follow. Once they were inside, Argo relaxed. "We should be good now," she said, giving up on suppressing her accent. "I think they're not followin' us anymore."

"That's good," Kirito sighed. "That means you can stop calling me 'Alice', then."

"Aw, it's a cute name for a cute gal," Argo cooed, then rolled her eyes when Kirito gave her a flat look. She was pretty sure he practiced it on his little sister. "Fine, fine, I'll call ya Kii-boy like usual. Yer still cute," she muttered the last sentence so that he wouldn't hear.

"So, we were being followed?"

Argo shrugged, already missing her cloak when she didn't have it ripple with the motion. "Yep," she said, popping the plosive. "An' we're prob'ly gonna be followed here, too, at a distance. Not so much that we can't talk, but ya can't switch to yer regular weapons or anythin'. We'll have ta pretend ta fight th' mobs fer a bit, too. Don't want the peepers ta get suspicious."

"Of course," Kirito sighed. "Well, we went into this expecting to take our time, so it's not like this is a surprise."

Argo shrugged again, not feeling the need to add anything more. On the other hand... Her hand twitched when she glanced at Kirito's, but she forced herself not to grab for his hand. She liked holding hands, yeah, but they were actually in the dungeon proper, so it'd look weird.

Because they were so high-level, fighting the few mobs that filled the plains dungeon was simple. Argo even had to deliberately hold back so that they weren't killing the enemies too quickly; even though they were using the weak equipment, their stats were just plain higher. Argo twirled her dagger after killing the next Golden Forest Wolf and sheathed it again, glancing over at Kirito. His eyes were intense as always, even against enemies like this, and she couldn't help but smile at the look. Humming happily as she walked by his side, she was able to relax for once, and listen to the sound of the various environmental critters, like the birds in the trees and the -

 _Bark!_

"Nyaaaaaah!" Argo squealed, leaping at Kirito. She didn't even care how it looked to any of the players maybe-stalking them, she just clung to his chest and shivered.

"A-Kana?" Kirito exclaimed in surprise, still catching her without hesitation. "What's wrong? Is it an enemy?"

 _Bark bark!_

"Noooo," Argo wailed. "H-H-Hurry up and do something!" Without looking at it, she pointed wildly.

Kirito looked around, still absently patting her back as Argo hid her face, and said, "What, that little puppy? I'm not sure what you want me to do... It's just a small puppy critter, Kana, it's not attacking us."

"I don't care!"

If she had a cat tail, it would be puffed out and standing straight up. Argo turned her head to glare at the small puppy standing by the side of the road. Kirito, once he knew she wasn't in danger, had let his body relax, and Argo took full advantage of the slight acceptance to mold herself against him further, trying desperately to get as far away from that horrible creature as possible.

"Oh... Are you scared of -"

"Sh-shut up! Stop smirking!" Argo complained. "Just get rid of it!"

Kirito laughed and picked up the puppy. It whined in his hands and blinked at him. "He's cute," Kirito told her. "Come on, look. Try holding him for a little bit."

Argo whipped around his body, putting Kirito between her and the dog. "D-don't try to get it on your side! C'mon, I'll do anything, just get it away! You're gonna take years off my life!"

Kirito shook his head and put the puppy back on the ground, shooing it away. As soon as the golden dog was gone, Argo nearly went limp with relief. "I think that's supposed to be a young Golden Forest Wolf," Kirito mentioned idly as he and Argo kept moving to catch up with the rest of the mini-raid group.

Still blushing from the embarrassment, and a few tears in her eyes, Argo gave Kirito a subdued glare. "...I'm gonna dig up blackmail info on you, now," she told him. "I'm sure yer sis has some juicy info to share."

"Wha?"

"It's not fair if ya have info on me," Argo muttered.

Kirito chuckled and patted her head. Despite trying to be irritated with him, Argo leaned into the touch. "I promise I won't say anything, Argo. We're all scared of something, even silly things like that."

"I never asked ta be this way," she grumbled. "...But thanks." She'd have to do something to make it up to him, sooner or later. Even if keeping it quiet didn't seem like a big deal to him, she considered it a business transaction, and Argo hated feeling indebted to anyone.

...

Since the monsters weren't really all that dangerous - except for the occasional break where Argo had to hide against Kirito and shiver until he managed to get rid of the Young Golden Wolf sitting peacefully on the side of the road, panting - the two friends took the chance to chat along the road, something they didn't really do enough in Argo's opinion. Sure, they talked, but it wasn't like back in the beta, when the two of them would spend hours going through dungeons together, talking about whatever the whole way through.

"Hey, Kii-boy," Argo said, grinning up at her friend as they walked. "How's it goin', anyway?"

"Well, we're making good time, we should be at the end of the dungeon before -"

"Nya hah hah," she laughed. "Not that, ya dork, I'm talkin' about yer life in general. C'mon, spill, spill!"

Kirito sighed with a good-natured smile. "You probably know everything anyway, Argo," he said. "Or are those candid photos of all of us in your newspaper from someone else?"

"Neither confirmin' nor denyin' yer accusation, Kii-boy," Argo said happily. "Unless ya pay me the col, of course."

"I think I'll pass," he said. "Things are pretty good, all things considered, I think."

"Oh yeah?"

Kirito shrugged. "I mean, sometimes it's still a little weird to wake up and realize I'm in a guild with you all." Grinning, he scratched the back of his head. "I never really expected to be a guild leader in the first place," he said.

Argo laughed. "Nya hah hah, I would have _never_ thought that. Kii-boy, one of the most famous solo players in th' beta? Of _course_ he's guild leader material," she snickered.

"Hey," he said half-heartedly.

She could tell he didn't really mean it, honestly, but for an instant she worried that she'd actually hit a sore spot. "...Hey, Kii-boy? Um... We don't bug ya too much, do we?"

Kirito looked at her. "Bug me? What do you mean?"

"Well..." Argo fidgeted. She wasn't _used_ to this. She usually didn't worry about whether she was pissing people off, but... Kirito was important to her, so she wanted to make sure she didn't drive him away. Argo knew that if she wasn't careful, that'd happen sooner or later... "I mean, th' way we keep teasin' ya, or askin' ya fer help with grindin', or stuff like that."

"Um..." Kirito looked at her, and then smiled kindly. "Of course not, Argo. I know that it wouldn't be the same without all of you here with me."

Argo looked at him, and then beamed at him happily. "Nya hah hah! Ah, yer too good fer us, Kii-boy. What'd we do in a past life ta get ya?" With another grin, she grabbed ahold of his arm, hugging it tightly.

Kirito glanced at Argo. "Uh, Argo?"

"What?" she pouted. "Ya jus' said -"

"I-It's not that," he said. "But... you're clinging a bit tight."

Argo blinked up at him, then looked down where she was still holding onto his arm. "Oh? What's this? Is Kii-boy weak against me? Do I have type advantage? Does Argo beat Kii-boy on th' weapon triangle?"

"More that I can't use my sword like this," Kirito just sighed, and Argo giggled as she let go of his arm, only a little reluctantly. "Thanks."

"No problem," Argo said with a grin. "Buuut, ya gotta give me a piggy-back ride once we're done here in return."

"How is it that I end up owing you something no matter what?"

"Nya hah hah!"

A little bit later, after a quick break to waste a good amount of time against a small back of Golden Forest Wolves - they had that really annoying habit that all Wolf-type mobs had, where they could howl and summon more of themselves as reinforcements, and Kirito had told Argo to let it go off a few times - they were walking down the path again when Argo smirked. "So, Kii-boy," she said almost casually, knowing that he'd know to feel a little worried, "what's it like bein' th' only guy in a guild full 'a gals?"

"Urk!" Kirito coughed a few times, not looking at her, and Argo's smirk widened. "I, uh... I haven't thought about it at all."

"Oh, c'mon, Kii-boy," she wheedled, poking his side a few times. "Tell me, tell me! Promise I won't tell, swear on the fact I'm an info broker~. I'll even pay ya..."

Kirito just crossed his arms, refusing to engage, so she started poking his cheek instead. _Squish squish._ Nya hah, that's kinda fun, she thought to herself.

"Is it Liz?" Argo asked out loud. "She's definitely cute, an' the freckles add ta her charm. Plus, she's got spirit, nya hah hah!"

"You sound like a dirty old man, Argo," Kirito sighed.

Argo just grinned. "Silica, maybe? I could see why, somethin' about her makes ya wanna protect her, right? Plus, she's a tank, she'd work well with yer playstyle. Which is probl'y way too aggressive, by the way," she added. When Kirito didn't say anything, she smirked wickedly. "Ooh, maybe it's lil' ol' me," she purred, hugging him and pressing herself to his side. "Naughty Kii-boy, tryin' ta make Big Sis Argo break one 'a th' Info Broker's laws."

"Argo," Kirito sighed, though she could hear a smile in the resignation somewhere. "...How couldn't it be you? You're amazing, resourceful... Even when I'm about to freak out, you're always so calm and collected. I know I can rely on you. So... how _couldn't_ I be interested in you like that? Any man should count himself lucky to be even friends with you, you know."

Uh?! Argo blinked in surprise as he turned and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his firm chest. Uwah?! Argo felt her eyes widen in surprise as she finally understood what he'd said - and her entire face went crimson, the blush creeping from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. S-So what if that was the most romantic thing a boy had ever said to her! That fluttering feeling in her stomach meant nothing! "N-n-nya hah hah!" She squirmed a little bit and managed to break free before immediately turning around so he couldn't see her face. Jeez, why did the dungeon get so _hot_ all of the sudden?! "Y-you're jus' kiddin' about that, right Kii-boy?"

"...Well, mostly."

Kirito's nonchalant answer made something in Argo's chest relax and she let out a huge sigh. "I knew it, Kii-boy! Ya jerk." It _was_ fun flirting with him, though. He always had the best reactions - and she smirked when she noticed that his neck was a little red. Heh, that fake confession had embarrassed him too! But there was no way she was going to let him get away with getting the last word in. "Ooh, I know, it's _A-chan_ , right? Mmm, gotta say, ya got good taste, Kii-boy. Pretty, smart, a good fighter... A-chan's got the works."

"Let's just stop talking about this!" Kirito yelped, blushing bright red. Argo snickered, but let the subject drop. She'd noticed that they entered a Safe Zone anyway, probably the final one before the boss.

Argo and Kirito exchanged a quick glance before they both popped healing potions, chugging them down. Better safe than sorry, even if there wasn't any chance they would be in any danger, Argo figured. "Better use th' fake names from here on," Argo whispered to Kirito. He nodded in agreement.

Once the two of them had full health, they entered the boss room - a mostly empty glade, aside from thick bushes ringing the area and forming a natural enclave to fight in. At the far end of the clearing, a tall oak tree stood, and Argo knew that the end of the dungeon was in there, a chest holding various rare items that sold for a lot of col. It was why this dungeon run was such a popular one for the players unable to handle the front lines. All they had left to do now was beat the boss.

Argo shivered as the boss finally oozed forward, making itself known. There was just _something_ about slimes, right? She knew Silica had this weird thing about plant monsters, but Lisbeth and Asuna always held that slimes were the worst, and Argo had to agree with them. Something about the way they moved just creeped her out... In her case, though, it was mainly because they were such a pain to kill.

...

"Hah!" Argo exclaimed, slashing with her dagger. The body of the slime she was fighting split evenly down the middle, its attack interrupted, and the two halves of the monster formed into separate, more agile slimes. With a groan, Argo watched the half-sized mobs bounce off to cause more trouble. "This sucks!" she complained, turning to Kirito.

He turned to answer her, but his eyes widened. "Kana, look out!" he exclaimed, voice tight and high-pitched. Argo had just enough time to turn and see a slime jumping for her, body glowing, before she felt herself tugged to the side. Kirito's outstretched hand was extended as she twisted, rolling with the motion. In his other hand he swung his sword, neatly bisecting the leaping slime. "Are you alright?" he asked her as the two mini-slimes bounced away. "Kana?"

Argo rolled to her feet and popped up. "Ah... My hero," she pretended to swoon before giving him a grin. "I'm good. Thanks for the save."

"Be more careful," he told her.

"I will." His answering smile made her heart skip. Or maybe that was just the adrenaline, kicking into high gear. Argo was pretty sure it was both. Either way, she felt re-energized and jumped right back into battle.

The problem with slimes, Argo finally realized, was that even if they were easy to hit at first, they were an extreme pain once they'd been reduced down to the component parts. The smallest blobs died in one hit, yes, but they were tiny and fast. Hitting them was the problem. "Rrrgh!" she snarled after another blob bounced out of the way at the last second. They didn't even do much damage, they were just a pain! She let out an irritated hiss as she glared at the dagger resting innocently in her hand. If she had her claws...!

"Kana, stand back," Kirito ordered as he stepped forward towards the center of the clearing. Argo blinked and then shrugged. When he sounded like that, she really didn't have any choice but to obey the sheer confidence in his voice. He'd come through, she knew. He always did.

Kirito brandished his sword before his entire body glowed red. He'd activated one of the few Hate skills he knew; normally, he left that sort of thing to Leafa or Silica, since aggro management was their job, but he still knew a few of the skills. Instantly, all of the slimes that had been bouncing around turned in his direction. They bounced a few times and then launched themselves in the air. Kirito's blade flashed up and slashed the first, and then the second, and then more and more. As he attacked, they kept dying to his sword in a dance of steel.

"Woo!" Argo called, just for fun. If she was just going to watch, might as well be a cheerleader~. "Go, go, Alice~!"

With a final slash, the last slime shattered into blue polygons and floated away. Breathing out slowly, Kirito sheathed his blade. Instantly, Argo dashed forward and took a flying leap into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. It was totally just to make it look like they were celebrating beating a tough boss. And also because she got to enjoy some Kii-boy cuddles, that too. "Ar- Kana," Kirito breathed.

"Good job," she said with a giggle, leaning forward to boop his nose with hers. Kirito suffered through the affection well, only leaning away when she went for a second nose boop. Good-naturedly, Argo twisted around and hopped down. She turned around to look for their dungeon reward - this might have been a sting, but it wasn't like she was just going to ignore a rare item she could sell - but when she saw the sight in front of her, that grin twisted into a frown.

At least ten players, maybe more, had emerged from seemingly nowhere, surrounding the two players with their blades drawn. Argo looked up over their heads and wasn't surprised in the least to see that almost all of them had orange crystals. "Over here," one of the players said, gesturing with a spear to the side of the clearing. "You two, get over here and kneel. Make sure you don't try anything funny or we'll make sure you pay for it, got that?"

Argo and Kirito nodded and hesitantly walked over, kneeling down where the man indicated. "Alright, thank you very much for your hard work," another player said. He was wearing impressive armor, especially for a thief. "We'll be taking your drops and any rewards for clearing the dungeon. Just give up the goods, and nobody gets hurt. Simple."

Kirito leaned over to Argo. "You ready, Argo?"

She winked at him. "Whenever's good, Kii-boy."

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?!"

He studied the players surrounding them, and then nodded to her. "Do it."

"Gotcha. Have some fun~," she said before swiping open her menu. To their credit, the members of Rafflesia noticed immediately and started making their way towards her. However, it wasn't anything more than running to their defeat faster, because Argo finished manipulating her menu and pulled out a small grey orb. With a shout, she threw it on the ground, and it shattered on impact.

The smoke bomb exploded, shrouding the entire field in fog. Argo just kicked back and relaxed as the sound of brisk, violent combat filled the air. "What's going on?!" one orange player exclaimed.

Argo briefly considered telling them to relax too, because that'd make things easier, but figured that it'd be over soon enough no matter what they did.

Sure enough, the short-lived smoke faded away after only a few minutes to reveal the orange players all twitching on the ground, stunned by paralysis needles they'd purchased specifically for this task. Argo didn't waste any time scurrying over to each of them and tying them up with rope from her inventory. Once all of the thieves had been secured, she glanced up to Kirito. He had both his swords out, holding them to the throat of what she assumed to be the leader of Rafflesia. The only reason he wasn't knocking the player out was the green cursor over his head. "Hi there," Argo sang cheerfully as she approached him. "Sorry 'bout this, but yer lil' game's up. Gonna go ta jail the easy way, or the hard way?"

"You're..." The man looked at the two swords in Kirito's hands, and then back at Argo. "The Royal Blades... You're Argo, aren't you?"

"Got it in one~," Argo said cheerfully. "We heard ya were doin' some naughty things, so we figured we'd put a stop to it."

The man grimaced at her, and then sighed when Kirito adjusted his grip on the two blades held at his neck. The weapons caught the light ominously, glinting from the sun. "We'll go," he said, totally defeated.

Argo's smirk widened. "That's what I like ta hear," she said before rummaging around in her pockets. "Here we go, this Corridor Crystal is keyed to th' Black Iron Palace. Corridor open!"

Yes, it was expensive, but Argo was all about the spectacle. She watched the defeated orange players with a satisfied smirk, before turning to head out. Now, to handle the player that had been informing the guild...

...

The next day, Argo was relaxing on the couch, kicking her legs idly. Her whiskers were back where they belonged, and she was wearing her comfortable short shorts instead of the cute dress Ashley had stuffed her in. And, most importantly, her cloak was wrapped around her shoulders, her hood pooled around her neck. It was like the warm embrace of an old friend.

"Argo!" Kirito burst into the room. "What is this!"

Argo grinned up at him. "'S my newspaper, Kii-boy, ya know that."

"I'm talking about the article! Where did they get the pictures?"

Argo took a look at the article in question. Naturally, it was a front-page expose on how the Royal Blades had shattered one of the orange guilds that had been plaguing the lower levels. It was a pretty good deterrent against other players trying to get rich quick, Argo figured. Plus, it even had the most _adorable_ picture of Kirito; _someone_ had managed to snap a picture right when Kirito was smiling, still dressed up in his Alice disguise. "What's wrong? Ya look good, Kii-boy."

"What's wrong is that Klein sent me a message asking to be introduced to 'that super-cute new girl of yours'! He keeps calling me Master."

"Nya hah hah, ya gonna tell 'im the truth?"

"Of course not," Kirito grumbled. "Also, Asuna keeps blushing every time she looks at me. I'm worried she's getting weird thoughts."

Argo rolled her eyes. This boy was so dense sometimes, she wondered how he managed to function without picking up on the long-haired girl's incredibly obvious crush. "Don't worry 'bout it, Kii-boy. Besides, didn't yer sis say that the two of ya got confused for twin sisters when you were young?"

Kirito blushed. "Th-that... How do you know that?"

Argo just gave him a V for victory sign with both hands. "Nya hah hah! Never underestimate my abilities as an info broker!"

* * *

 **Success! Argo and Kirito have saved the day. Or, uh, Kana and Alice?**

 **First up, just some cute relaxing with the siblings and Asuna. They hadn't had much time to themselves, and I figured they'd like to goof off together for a while. It was also a good way to get them out of the house so that I could set up some other things for the future. Then suddenly ninjas, and we launch into the main point of the chapter, a cute little sting operation. (Mystletainn was picked as a joke, he's not a character from anything)**

 **Yes, fine, the whole point was basically to have Argo and Kirito interact together, mainly because Argo's a good vector for getting Kirito to think about certain things. In this case, why he would be interested in each of the girls. Except poor Sugu, mainly because Argo still thinks she's his sister and he hasn't corrected that impression. Kirito's 'fake confession' to Argo was mostly a joke, like he said. ...Mostly.**

 **I was trying to come up with a good name for Kirito's disguise, and figured that since this won't touch on anything related to Alicization, I could use it as a nice little nod. Also, because one of the pictures I was thinking about using for 'Alice' was essentially Kirito wearing the traditional Alice in Wonderland blue and white dress. In the end, though, I decided to use a different picture for reference ; it's** _ **somewhere**_ **on the internet, so go find it yourself. Try googling 'Kirito Minattyon' and it should be the first result.**

 **As much as I adore Argo, being mean to her is also incredibly fun, so we get to take a look at one of her major weaknesses: cute puppers. Really it's any dog at all, but it's funnier to see her freak out over a puppy. You'll notice that the more I like the characters, the meaner I am to them. It's weird that way. Oh well. Everyone's getting a happy ending, at any rate.**

 **(It's hilarious to watch everyone jump to the conclusion that Mysterious Female Point of View at the end of last chapter was Yui...)**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or left a review.  
**

* * *

 **Canon Omake:**

Well, she _had_ said that she should do something nice for him, to make up for teasing Kirito all the time, but still... "Seriously, this'd look better on Liz," Argo protested.

"What? No way," Lisbeth said with a grin. "This is a good look for you."

"Actually, she has a point," Asuna said, studying Lisbeth thoughtfully. "Maybe something in red, to go with the pink hair... Or maybe pink, to up the cute factor?"

Lisbeth blinked and then waved her hands in front of her frantically, as if it would stave off the approaching Asuna. Argo tilted her head, almost surprised by how quickly the gleam of interest had appeared in Asuna's eyes. She really, really liked dressing people up, it seemed. Guess she an' Kii-boy weren't her only toys, she thought with a snicker.

Anyway, she couldn't put this off any longer. With a grin, she stepped out into the living room. "Argo?!" Kirito yelped.

Instead of answering right away, Argo adjusted the cute red ribbon around her neck. She was wearing a cute maid outfit that Ashley had made, complete with frilly headpiece sitting neatly behind the two strands of hair that always stuck up. As an added bonus, there was a little mouse pin sitting on the left side of the skirt. "Nya hah hah!" she laughed, sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth impishly. "How can I serve ya today, Master?"

 **Because maid Argo is cute too and I mean I'm not going to tease you with that and then not deliver, right?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

* * *

 **July 16th, 2023**

"Switch!" Silica called out as the heavy Chained Golem's arm crashed down on her shield. The smaller girl activated her Shield Skill and the heavy club-like appendage rebounded; Lisbeth immediately jumped forward, buckler on her arm as she swung her mace in a heavy sweeping arc. It smashed into the Chained Golem's side, dealing heavy damage thanks to the Golem's weakness to blunt damage. It groaned in pain before raising its arms and preparing for the three-hit punch. Lisbeth hunkered down, bracing herself, and absorbed all three blows on her shield.

While it pounded fruitlessly, Lisbeth made sure to keep the shield moving and grinned. That's right, she thought to herself, freaky face-without-eyes on her and her alone... Since it was focused on her and her alone, the Chained Golem was completely unprepared for Leafa to spring forward and slash down its unprotected back. The slash was enough to finally kill the monster and it shattered, just a little bit before its next hit landed on Lisbeth's buckler.

"Ugh," she groaned, brushing her hair out of her face. "I hate when I have to be the tank..."

"Don't complain," Argo called, instants before she jumped away from a ground smash. "At least ya can block it!"

...Why were they fighting in weird groups? They had all the tanks in one place! "This might not... have been the best idea," Kirito grunted as he parried a hammer punch. "Someone help, please!"

"Coming!" Lisbeth called. Silica was still recovering from tanking the other Chained Golem, and Leafa was on the wrong side of the battles, so she was the closest. Argo and Asuna were doing a good job darting in and out, nicking at the Chained Golem's health while Kirito kept its attention, but that wasn't a good substitute for a tank. "Asuna, switch!"

Asuna looked over her shoulder and jumped to the side, her half-cape fluttering in the air as Lisbeth rushed forward. The blacksmith jumped in the air, raising her hammer with both hands, and then brought it down squarely on the top of the Chained Golem's head with the Skill Thunder Crash. She hung in the air for a second as the impact rippled out, and then dropped as the Chained Golem shattered.

She landed on the ground, nearly overbalancing. She _still_ wasn't used to the new brown leather boots Asuna had picked out for her, though they _were_ comfortable, and the small heel did make her feel nice... Though she could really do without the rest of the outfit. She had her gauntlets and greaves, as well as a breastplate, but the rest of her equipment came from Asuna's 'inspiration' after seeing Argo in that cute maid outfit. She looked like a waitress, with the white frills on the skirt and the half-apron around her waist, tied in the back in a big floppy bow. She did like the floppy red bow around her neck, though; it was secured just under the sapphire necklace Kirito had given her last Christmas, on display prominently at her throat at all times.

When she'd protested, Asuna had simply held up the skirt again with a knowing look and told her, "It'll look cute when you open up a blacksmith shop!" When Lisbeth's resolve had wavered from _that_ attack, Asuna had pushed for the kill: "Besides, I already bought it, and weren't you the one who said that once it was purchased, _I_ had to wear _my_ new equipment?"

The end result, of course, was that Lisbeth was wearing it out for the first time in the dungeon. She thought it looked cute, but... what if the others thought she looked weird in it?

Kirito approached her. "Thanks for the save, Liz. It was almost getting messy out there."

Feeling a little uncomfortable with such honest praise, Lisbeth grinned and nudged him with her elbow. "Please, we all know it was because you were showing off for Asuna~."

"Wha- No I wasn't!"

Lisbeth just giggled. It was fun to tease him about the girl. She was pretty sure he had no idea every girl in the guild except his sister had a crush on him, which made it all the funnier. "Relax, I'm kidding," she said. "Anyway, how are the others doing?"

Kirito turned to look around. "Pretty good," he said thoughtfully. "Klein and Fuurinkazan should be finishing up shortly, and the Black Cats are doing well..."

When he fell silent, watching the Black Cats intently, Lisbeth smirked. Teasing opportunity sensed, she crowed to herself and nudged Kirito's side with her elbow a few times. "Oh? What's this? You seem to be _extra_ interested in the Black Cats. Or maybe it's just one member in particular?" She _really_ wished she could pull off that eyebrow raise Argo was so good at, but she had to settle for the slyest grin she could make instead.

"No!" Like she expected, Kirito immediately blushed. "It's nothing like that. I was just watching to see if they needed our help, that's all. And they don't." Still a little red, he turned around to check on Asuna and Argo.

"Mm-hmm," Lisbeth hummed, watching him go. She knew he didn't think about Sachi like that. Heck, he didn't even think about _them_ like that, and Argo was always all but rubbing herself against him. It was still fun to see his reaction sometimes.

Kirito's prediction came true shortly after that, though. With a loud, boisterous yell, Klein beheaded the Tormentor Kobold he and his guild were fighting in an honestly kinda impressive display of skill, not that she'd say so out loud. They let out a cheer as the monster in the dirty black hood disappeared, sheathing their weapons. The Black Cats took a little bit longer, but not by much; their own Chained Elemental died after a thrust from Sachi pierced its core, though the Black Cats had taken a little bit more damage than the other groups. They had the potions to heal up, though, so it wasn't a big deal.

The dungeon they were fighting through was a field dungeon, one of the ones on Floor 40, the current front lines. Since it was still on the front lines, the Royal Blades teamed up with the two guilds they had an alliance with to run a raid on it, just in case things went south. Since they were only halfway through and had already been attacked by a bunch of strong monsters, Lisbeth was pretty sure they'd made the right call.

"You guys doing okay?" she asked Fuurinkazan as the samurai wannabes checked their menus. Somehow, she'd become the go-to liaison between their guilds, not that she minded.

Dynamm grinned at her. "Don't need to worry about us, Liz. We're doing fine."

"Yep!" Klein gave her a thumbs up. "Just... maybe a second to catch our breath and we're fine."

Lisbeth grinned and returned the thumbs up before heading over to the Black Cats, where she heard the tail end of Sasamaru's comment. "...okay, Sachi? That last hit looked like it hurt."

Sachi smiled at Sasamaru's clear worry. "It's alright, I'm not hurt anymore," she said. "My health is full."

"Just make sure you stay behind Tetsuo," the boy in green said. "He's our tank for a reason. ...Oh, Liz, hi," he said, noticing the girl standing by their guild.

Sachi looked over as the other Black Cats said hello as well. "Oh, hello Liz," she said. "Ah! Your new equipment is really cute!"

"Oh, you're just saying that," Lisbeth said with a grin, waving at the air playfully to knock away the compliment. "But thanks. Asuna picked it out."

Sachi giggled. "It does look good on you. I like how it goes with your hair!"

Lisbeth smiled. "Thanks, Sachi. How are you guys doing?"

"Good enough," Ducker said carelessly, folding his arms behind his head. "Though it feels like we should have died a while ago, honestly..."

"Don't _say_ things like that," Sachi said sharply, and Ducker winced at the rebuke.

Lisbeth just grinned and laughed a little weakly. "As long as you don't act on that feeling, we're all good," she joked. She glanced over her shoulder to see Kirito and Leafa waving at her, and said, "Oops, gotta go. We're moving on, so everyone ready?"

"Coming," Keita said as the Black Cats prepared to move.

The rest of the dungeon didn't prove to be much of a threat, once they'd gotten adjusted to the dungeon itself and the way mobs could spawn from even the seemingly empty jail cells. Eventually, they reached what seemed to be the end of the dungeon - and could hear the sound of combat inside. "Hurry!" Kirito exclaimed, drawing his swords as he ran forward. "They might need help!"

The three guilds charged forward, prepared for anything, and they burst into the boss chamber - a stylized prison cage, seemingly hanging in midair - at a sprint. Immediately, they saw the problem; another party was being harassed by more Chained Golems and Tormentor Kobolds. Five cages hung from the ceiling, providing an infinite spawning point for the monsters. What was worse, none of the players were shouting or talking to each other. Instead, they were all gesturing wildly, desperately trying to defeat the bosses.

Argo cursed. "Silence effect, Kii-boy," she said. "I've seen it before, they can't use crystals!"

Lisbeth realized that was exactly why they hadn't escaped - they couldn't. And the door to the cage they'd opened by throwing a lever in front of the boss door had closed behind them, so they couldn't escape that way. "Liz, Fuurinkazan go let them know we're here to help!" Kirito told her. "Everyone else, we're fighting the boss! That's the best way to save them."

"Right!" the players barked.

Lisbeth immediately ran for the nearest player, struggling against a Tormentor Kobold on his own. Her hammer in her hand, she spun on her heel right as she reached the mob and slammed the flat of the weapon against the Kobold's side. As it went flying, she exclaimed, "Hey! Need some help?" He nodded frantically, gesturing at his throat with his free hand, and she grinned. "Don't worry, the Royal Blades are here to help," she told him. The light entering his eyes was accompanied by a visible shudder of relief.

"And! Friends!" Klein shouted out as he slashed a Chained Golem, cutting one of the links binding its body. "We're here, too!"

Lisbeth grinned at him before running to help the next closest player. Klein was a good friend.

While she and the others could hold off the infinitely respawning mobs for a while, the problem was still pretty simple - they were infinitely respawning mobs. No matter how long they could hold out, their supplies were limited. As Lisbeth blocked a hammering punch from a Chained Golem while Klein and Dynamm tag-teamed the DPS role, she glanced over to the side where Kirito, the other girls, and the Black Cats were fighting. The Feral Warder Chief's HP was falling slowly, but steadily. The first of the two bars was almost empty, they just needed to hold out just a little longer...

She really wished she could be there fighting with him, Lisbeth felt her heart ache. She knew this was an important job, but - "Hey, Liz!" Klein hollered. "Go help Kiri-dude! Us Fuurinkazan got this!" She stared at the samurai, and he spared a second to give her a thumbs up before jumping out of the way of the Chained Golem's swipe with its trailing chain.

"Thanks, Klein!" she called back before jumping away to get away from the mob she was fighting. She looked at the curved-sword user, the leader of the party they were helping, and he gave her a thumbs up before launching forward in a spinning slash.

Grinning, she ran past the rest of the mobs and closed into range of the Feral Warder Chief. "Sorry I'm late, Kirito!" she called out.

"You're just in time, Liz," her leader replied from the masked boss's side. "Leafa, switch with Liz!"

"Got it, Kazuto!"

Leafa parried a blow from the Feral Warder Chief and knocked its massive axe to the side before jumping back. As soon as the range was clear, Lisbeth stepped in beside Silica and raised her buckler. Sure, she was tired, but as long as Kirito asked for her help she'd do whatever it took!

...

Lisbeth panted as she looked at the massive boss. Its health had finally reached halfway down the final bar, but she was totally exhausted. They'd been fighting for... She checked the clock in the corner of her vision while drinking a potion. It'd only been five minutes, but it felt like at least six times that. At least the boss was nearly dead.

"Hey!" Klein shouted suddenly in a panic. "There's more mobs spawning, you guys!"

"What?!" Kirito whipped around. From the corner of her eyes, Lisbeth could see more mobs climbing out of holes in the wall, dropping into the cage-like arena. Five, ten... Fifteen more Tormentor Kobolds, already willing to harass and bully the weak players, ganging up on them. "No! Keita, take the Black Cats and help them out!"

"What about you?" Sachi exclaimed, hesitating even as the other Black Cats nodded and turned to fight. Lisbeth gave the girl a thumbs up in an attempt to make her feel a little better. Sachi was so pale, that cute mole on her cheek stood out even more than usual... "Kirito, everyone, stay safe!" she cried, clutching at her spear before turning and hurrying away.

"Guess we just gotta take this big guy down ourselves," Lisbeth said to Kirito.

"Worried?"

She snorted. "Like I would be with you around," she said.

Kirito grinned wolfishly at the comment before twirling both his swords. "Guess I can't let you down, Liz. Let's go!"

 _Clang clang clang!_ Kirito's swords hammered on the massive caged orc over and over again, barely hesitating even when the Feral Warder Chief would swipe at him in response. It helped that Lisbeth and Silica were able to keep the boss's attention most of the time, even with all the damage Kirito, Asuna, and Argo were doing. Leafa would switch between tanking and DPS as necessary, but even while she was attacking the health was draining only a little bit faster.

Seriously, she was a little worried Kirito's sword was going to break under the strain he was putting it in.

"It's almost there!" Kirito shouted, just as the boss's health dipped into the red zone. "Just a little bit -"

" _Wrooooar!_ " The Feral Warder Chief let out an eerie howl and swung its axe in a wide, sweeping arc. Most of the Royal Blades avoided the attack - Leafa and Silica were too close for it to hit them, Lisbeth was able to block the blow, and Argo simply dodged the attack with her insane AGI stat - but Kirito and Asuna were caught off guard and blown away. Fortunately, the Silence effect didn't proc on them, but that didn't stop them from flying backwards from the sheer force of the strike.

Asuna landed on her feet, naturally, and slid backwards before catching herself. Lisbeth's heart caught in her throat as she watched Kirito tumble, rolling awkwardly. "Kirito," she breathed, and almost ran to his side before he managed to push himself to his feet.

"Kazuto, watch out!" Leafa shouted, arm outstretched. A Tormentor Kobold had taken notice of Kirito, its bullying algorithms kicking in and making it lose interest in the player it had been fighting. Instead, it had raised the spear in its hands over its head, preparing to plunge it down into Kirito's unprotected back.

Kirito slashed out with his off-hand, almost like he knew where it was standing. That sixth sense of his again, Lisbeth dimly realized through the rush of relief that her leader and the boy she'd fallen for hard was safe. His eyes darted back to the front as the kobold died, before hardening. "Asuna!" he called out. "Protect me! I need about two minutes! Everyone else, focus on the boss!"

"Right," Asuna declared, standing next to him like the most powerful defender. Lisbeth could really see why she was the Princess of the Clearers; with the light shining down on her just right, her long hair streaming behind her and her gleaming rapier in her hand, Asuna was one of the most inspiring sights she'd ever seen. Even if the girl _wasn't_ her friend, that image alone would be enough to convince the pink-haired blacksmith to follow her orders.

She _knew_ that Asuna wouldn't let Kirito come to any harm. That was proved true soon enough as another Tormentor Kobold spawned from one of the cages, leaping towards Kirito with a warbling war cry as the boy knelt, manipulating his menu. Before it could get more than halfway there, though, Asuna's rapier had already pierced its body, flinging it to the side where it crashed against the cage wall. "You won't touch our Kazuto!" Asuna shouted.

Yeah. He was in good hands. Still grinning, Lisbeth turned back to the Feral Warder Chief and lunged forward, hammer raised. "Switch, Silica!" she shouted.

Her hammer slammed into the side of the boss as Silica hopped backwards. Yeah, Lisbeth hated when she had to be the tank, but this was for Kirito. This was for all of her friends in the Royal Blades, so she could do anything! She might not be as good as Silica when it came to tanking, or deal as much damage as the other DPS members of the guild, Lisbeth knew, but as long as she could do _something_ she would still fight.

Her hammer swinging, Lisbeth slammed it into the boss one, two, three times with heavy slams that sent little shockwaves rippling out even while Argo and Leafa clawed and slashed at its sides. By the time the Feral Warder Chief was able to overcome the damage stun and attack, Lisbeth had recovered from her own post-Sword Skill stun and was able to block the attack with her shield. It wasn't a perfect block, so she wasn't able to open up the Feral Warder Chief for extra damage, but it did mitigate most of the damage.

Switching out with Silica, Leafa jumped back to recover, and Lisbeth grinned at the short girl. Her armor was starting to show its age, she really needed to forge her something new... Maybe with some of those Mithril Ingots from the 36th Floor. They were lightweight, too, so Silica wouldn't be encumbered... Lisbeth shook her head. No, focus, you big dummy, she told herself. You're fighting a boss!

"I'm ready!" Kirito exclaimed from behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder. Asuna was still standing guard, but Kirito had straightened up from where he was kneeling, holding both of his swords. "Switch!" he shouted as he lunged forward, both of his swords.

Lisbeth's body jumped away as commanded, even while she goggled at the sight in front of her. The whole time she'd known Kirito and watched him fight, his dual blades style was unique. It wasn't _really_ Dual Blades, but a combination of One-Handed Sword Skills, he had explained when Lisbeth asked him how he used two weapons. A lot of practice and training went into making it look smooth, but at the end of the day he was only ever able to use one Sword Skill at a time.

But right now, both of his swords were glowing the same blue color, the sign of both weapons used in the Sword Skill. "Go Kirito!" Silica shouted, too busy cheering him on to realize that he was breaking all the rules of the game they knew so far!

"Haaah!" Kirito shouted, his face set in a firm mask of concentration. Swords sweeping out behind him, he slid in front of the boss and struck. Both of his blades spun in a circle as he unleashed a Sword Skill, slashing into the boss's unprotected stomach.

With a loud roar, the boss raised its axe over its head, the blade glowing; whatever skill it was attacking with gave it super armor, Lisbeth realized, preventing it from being stunned by Kirito's savage attack. "Kirito!" she cried, hoping that she could make it in time.

As it turned out, she didn't need to worry. Kirito's left sword flashed upwards just in time as the axe descended, the tip of his blade crashing against the flat of the blade. For an instant, Lisbeth stared as the axe halted in place, frozen and blocked by Kirito's sword; the pressure of the two blows crashing against each other created a blast of wind that ruffled her skirt and tousled her hair.

And then the sword shattered and her heart leapt into her throat.

"Ooooohh!" Kirito shouted, the sound ripping from his throat, and he thrust forward with his remaining sword, still glowing blue from his Sword Skill. The tip of the blade pierced through the Feral Warder Chief, and both of the fighters froze in place. Kirito from the post-Sword Skill delay, and the boss because that final blow had been enough to drain the last fragments of red health from its HP bar, killing it.

For a second, _everyone_ froze in place as the boss died. The other mobs all shrieked in fear and retreated, running away and climbing back into the cages they'd spawned from. As the blue polygons scattered, Kirito's arm finally lowered and he straightened up with an audible sigh of relief.

That was the cue for every girl in the Royal Blades to swarm him immediately. "What were you thinking!?" Asuna exclaimed, inspecting him for damage. "You idiot! What if you'd gotten hurt!"

"That was _nuts_ , Kii-boy! You gotta tell me what Skill let ya do that!"

"Pina, Kirito's amazing, isn't he?" "Kyuu!"

"I can't believe that stupid style of yours actually paid off, Kazuto," Leafa sighed, shaking her head.

Lisbeth plucked the hilt of Kirito's broken sword out of his hand and clicked her tongue in irritation when the hilt fuzzed and shattered. "Dang. I coulda saved it if it was just low durability, but broken like this..." She shook her head. "This was a masterpiece, but it's too late."

"Sorry for breaking your masterpiece, Liz," Kirito said, scratching his cheek.

The cheek that Asuna immediately pinched, tugging on it lightly. "You'd better promise not to do something that crazy again, got it, mister?" she scolded him. When he nodded, mumbling out an agreement, Asuna threw her arms around him in a hug. "You scared me half to death, Kazuto..."

"Sorry, sorry," he said, patting her back. "I'll try better in the future."

Asuna stared up at him, eyes narrowing. " _Try_?" she repeated archly.

"I'll do better in the future!" he yelped.

"Hey, Kii-boy," Argo whined, "what'd you doooooo? What Skill is it? Tell me, tell me!"

The clatter of armor heralded Klein approaching with the leader of the party they'd saved, that curved-sword user. "I'm a little curious myself, Kirito," Klein said. "I mean, I knew you fought with two swords, but I didn't think you could use Sword Skills with both!"

Kirito scratched his cheek, even while Asuna clung to him like a limpet. "Uh... I couldn't until just now? Right after killing that one Tormentor Kobold, I just got a prompt telling me I unlocked the Dual Blades Skill. I checked it out, and... well, that's what I used to kill the boss."

For a few seconds, everyone just stared at him, silently processing what he'd just said. Lisbeth noticed a few of the other players from the party in danger heading towards the back, where she could see a lever previously guarded by the boss.

Finally... "WHAAAAT?!" everyone exclaimed.

It took a little bit for everyone to calm down, but once they did Kirito was able to explain what little he knew. The skill seemed to eliminate most of the penalties for using two swords; normally, each weapon did less damage than wielding it on its own, so there really wasn't much point, but thanks to his new Dual Wielding Skill both weapons did full damage. It also unlocked a few other benefits, like faster Sword Skill cooldown and an all-new tree of Sword Skills to use.

Asuna was already clearly thinking furiously about the best grinding places for Kirito to level up, cupping her chin thoughtfully, and Argo was scribbling everything down in one of those leather-bound notebooks of hers. For her part, Lisbeth was more interested in watching how Kirito swung his sword with a flourish and sheathed it - his left hand going through the same motions with a phantom sword. He realized his mistake a second later, Leafa and Silica giggling at the surprised look on his face. Stepping up to stand next to him, Lisbeth prodded her leader in the chest playfully. "Looks like the two of us are heading out on a shopping trip sometime soon," she said with a grin.

"Huh?" Kirito said blankly. Lisbeth ignored how both Leafa and Silica complained about how things were unfair. "Why?"

"Well, if your new Skill needs two swords, you'll need one to replace the one you broke against that boss, right? So I figured I'd forge one with some really cool ingots." Lisbeth's mind was already whirling. Hmm, she needed something heavy, so the Mithril wouldn't work... She'd ask Argo about any new rumors for new mining spots, she figured, but if that failed then she'd just buy something from the market. It wouldn't be a bad idea to keep getting him new weapons from time to time, too, with how rough he was with them...

Never as rough as Silica, though. Lisbeth still had no idea how the little dragon-tamer managed to get every inch of her sword chipped without the weapon breaking.

"...to Liz. Hello? Earth ta Liz!" Lisbeth jumped, startled out of her thoughts by Argo waving her hands in front of the blacksmith's eyes. "Jeez, there ya are. C'mon, we're leavin'."

"C-Coming!" she said, hurrying to catch up with the Royal Blades.

* * *

 **July 18th, 2023**

"Anythin' 'bout new ores, huh?" Argo asked.

Lisbeth and the info broker were sitting in the room the two of them shared, both girls lounging on the bed. Argo had been sitting on her stomach and kicking her legs in the air behind her, scribbling in her notebook, occasionally shooting off a message; meanwhile, Lisbeth had been trying to figure out what kind of sword she wanted to make Kirito. She knew the rough physical details, of course, but every time she wound up at the same question: what material should she use to forge it? Most of the new ores were super light, which was great for Asuna and Argo - and Silica too, for her armor - but not so much the others.

Argo rolled over onto her back, staring at the ceiling while her hands flicked through messages. "Yer usually the one keepin' track 'a that stuff," she said slowly, "but check this out."

She flicked her fingers to the side and sent a message screen to Lisbeth. The pink-haired blacksmith took a look at the message, skimming through it. "Eh? This is interesting... A rare mineral at the end of a dungeon on the 12th Floor?"

"Yep," Argo said. "S'posedly, it's a nice walk through fields of flowers, so not much of an issue."

"How did we miss it before?"

Argo shrugged, sitting up. "Kii-boy an' A-chan wanted ta push for the Lab'rinth? Silica wasn't a fan of th' mobs? Leafa said it was too far outta th' way, since th' town's on th' far edge of th' Floor? I was busy with info broker biz? Th' mobs were wa~ay too hard fer us at the time? Take yer pick~."

Lisbeth smiled. "Well, this might work. Thanks, Argo." Almost without thinking, she leaned over and gave the info broker a huge, warm hug. Argo squealed in surprise as Lisbeth's arms wrapped around her stomach. "Man, your diet works wonders, Argo," she said idly. "Or is it exercise?"

Argo's ears went bright red and the normally composed info broker mumbled, "Um, it's... I jus' eat whatever... An' don't do anythin' special..."

"Lucky," Lisbeth sighed. "I always have to watch what I eat. I just _look_ at cake and gain a few pounds." With another squeeze, she conveyed her thanks to Argo for the information, making the Rat squeak again. Then, Lisbeth hopped off of the bed and hurried out of the room, looking for Kirito.

She found him sitting on the couch, chatting with his sister. "Hey, you two," she said, leaning against the doorframe.

Leafa looked over. "Hi, Liz," she said cheerfully. "Oh, I haven't said so yet, but I really like how your new battle equipment looks. It looks really cute on you!"

Lisbeth blushed. "I, uh... Thanks," she said. Truth be told, she still wasn't used to having people say she was cute. But Asuna insisted the waitress-like outfit really suited her, and Sachi and Leafa were saying the same things... And _they_ were definitely cute and pretty, so was it okay for a tomboy like her to believe them? Lisbeth wanted to think so, at any rate. "Anyway, mind if I steal Kirito for the afternoon?"

"Aww, you're interrupting our sibling time," Leafa sighed, but stood up and stretched anyway. "It's okay, I've charged up my Kazuto batteries for now, so go have fun. You're shopping for new ores to remake Kazuto's sword, right?"

"Yep," Lisbeth said. "Though Argo also gave me directions to a quest if we don't find anything in the stores, so we might go work on that."

Leafa grinned. "Sounds like a plan. Have fun, you two, I'm off to find Asuna. Hey, Asuna!" she called out as she left the living room.

Lisbeth smiled and turned back to Kirito. "So, ready to - Hey, Kirito, don't go to sleep! I _just_ said we were going out, jeez," she sighed when she realized he'd already sprawled out on the couch, eyes closed as he folded his arms on his chest. "Honestly, you're such a slacker..."

"I was just resting my eyes, Liz," he told her, pretending that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

"You can rest your eyes after I make you a new sword, mister," she said, prodding his shoulder. "Now let's go. The sooner we're finished with shopping, the sooner you can go back to sleep."

...

Lisbeth rolled her shoulders as she emerged on the main town on the 40th Floor, the edge of the front lines. "Alright," she said, pumping her fist in the air. "First things first, we should check out the biggest shop."

Kirito nodded as he stood beside her. He was wearing his battle equipment, since unlike Lisbeth or Silica his wasn't that obtrusive since he'd chosen to go with just his coat for protection. It certainly had enough defense stats to make a breastplate redundant, despite Leafa and Asuna's repeated insistence that he protect himself. In the end, he was good enough at not getting hit that they gave up on arguing with the stubborn boy and just let him wear his black coat. Naturally, Lisbeth was wearing her usual casual clothes; it was really similar to what she wore in the field, only with comfy boots instead of the ones with metal shin guards, and a dressier apron instead of the simpler one.

The two of them headed down the main street running north to south, making their way to a shop in particular. Still, it was nice for the two of them to wander around in public without other players making too big a deal about who they were. Sure, Lisbeth _knew_ she was one of the more famous players thanks to just being part of the Royal Blades' main circle, but it was still weird to see the mid-level players stare in awe.

When they reached the shop, Kirito pushed the door open without hesitation and stepped through. The ringing bell was enough to catch the attention of the massive man behind the counter, and he turned around with an easygoing grin that definitely didn't fit his muscular appearance. "Well well well," he said, his voice a deep rumble. Lisbeth occasionally forgot how _intimidating_ Agil could look. She knew he was just a big teddy bear, though. "If it isn't Kirito and Lisbeth. Hey there, you two."

"Yo, Agil," Kirito said casually, raising a hand. "How's it going?"

"Can't complain," he replied. "Business is boomin', you know how it is. So, whatcha lookin' for? I hope it's not to sell stuff, I still haven't gotten rid of all the junk you sold me last time."

Kirito grinned, leaning on the man's shop. "It's not junk and you know it, you swindler."

"Buy low, sell high, that's my motto, you know that," Agil grinned.

"If you two are done," Lisbeth sighed, grinning despite herself, "we're looking for any heavy ores, if you've got a lead on anything. Kirito here managed to break his sword, the dummy, and I'm looking for materials to make him a new one." Kirito at least had the grace to scratch his cheek sheepishly, like she'd noticed Leafa did from time to time. They really _were_ siblings. "I could use what we have now, but it's a few Floors out of date," Lisbeth said.

Agil scratched at his goatee. "Heavy ores, huh? Can't say I know anything," he said slowly. "But then again I run a general shop, not one specializing in that sorta thing. From what I've been seeing though, a lot of the new weapons are lighter and faster. Nothing Kirito'd be interested in. Sorry I couldn't help."

"No, no worries," Kirito said. "Thanks anyway, Agil."

"Come back anytime!" Agil called as the two of them left the shop. "I'm always willing to take your money!"

Once the door closed behind them, Lisbeth sighed, idly touching the little hammer necklace around her neck. "Well, that was pointless," she grumbled. "Maybe we should have just gone with the quest from the start."

Kirito grinned, shrugging. "Hey, it was a good idea to check with Agil first anyway," he said. "His business is really taking off, huh? I wouldn't be surprised if he moves shops soon."

"Maybe when a bigger Floor opens up," Lisbeth suggested. Their axe-wielding friend had more or less switched over to full-time shopkeeping, buying and selling anything he could get his hands on. As a result, he was rapidly becoming one of the biggest household names, so to speak. "Anyway, should we go to the... Hey, what's going on over there?"

"Hmm?" Kirito looked over where Lisbeth was staring. She'd noticed it out of the corner of her eye, the shouting and loud voices barely registering, but as she and Kirito walked closer Lisbeth could hear the commotion getting louder.

"Please!" a player begged, on his knees as he grasped desperately at a player about to leave the Safe Zone. Lisbeth was pretty sure that the guy he was grabbing at was a member of the DDA, the alliance formed by the Dragon Knights Brigade and a few other guilds. Her suspicions were all but confirmed when he heartlessly pulled away, heading out of the town. "Someone, please help..."

Kirito immediately headed that way, Lisbeth following him without question. Honestly, she knew, there wasn't a question Kirito was going to help him. That's just the way he was...

"Um, hey," Kirito said as he stopped in front of the player. "Is something wrong?"

The man whirled around, staring up at him like Kirito had offered him a million col. "You're... you're Kirito! Leader of the Royal Blades! Please, you have to help me!" He reached up desperately and grabbed the lapels of Kirito's coat, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Calm down," Kirito said weakly. "I'll help you, just explain what's going on, okay?"

The man shuddered and sank to his knees again. "Finally... Someone... Someone will avenge them..." he mumbled, and Lisbeth exchanged a glance with Kirito. Wiping at his eyes, the man looked up at the two of them. "I'm the leader of a small guild called the Silver Flags. Or... I was. We were attacked by Titan's Hand, and I'm... I'm..."

He broke off, choking back a sob, and Lisbeth knelt down next to him. "Take your time," she said soothingly. "And you don't have to go into details if you don't want to."

The player sniffled. "S-Sorry... It's just, they were my friends, and..."

"It's okay," Lisbeth said. "We understand. Take as long as you need, okay?" While he collected himself, she glanced up at Kirito. He grinned at her, nodding, as he started tapping away at his menu. 'Titan's Hand,' she whispered to him, and he nodded once. Argo would be able to point them in the right direction.

Eventually, the man was able to speak again. "I... I want them to go to jail," he said. "They killed my friends, but... I don't want them dead. Is that weird?"

"Of course not," Lisbeth said.

He smiled weakly. "I, um... I used all of our money to buy this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a large blue crystal. "Please, use this Corridor Crystal to send them to prison. Please..."

Kirito reached out and accepted the Corridor Crystal. "Don't worry," he said. "We'll make sure they pay."

After more sobbing thanks, the player stood up and wiped at his eyes before leaving. Kirito even kindly pointed him towards Agil's shop, just in case the man needed to restock his equipment for cheap. After all, Lisbeth and Kirito knew that the shopkeeper ripped _them_ off so that he could lower prices for everyone else.

While they waited for Argo to finish her inquiries and message them with more information about Titan's Hand, Lisbeth and Kirito took seats in the park, resting on one of the benches. It was really relaxing to be able to rest for a bit, Lisbeth thought idly. The fountain was really neat to watch, and there was even a little NPC band with a brown-haired singer nearby performing.

"I'm glad you were here, Liz."

"Eh?" she asked, surprised by Kirito's words. "Wh-what did I do?"

He smiled at her. "If you weren't there, I might not have been able to talk to that guy so easily. So, thanks, Liz. You're really great, you know that?"

Okay, there was _no_ way she wasn't blushing after a line like that! Lisbeth didn't even try to say anything in response, she just turned away so that he wouldn't see her go bright crimson.

"Um, Liz? Are you okay?"

"Fine!" she squeaked. Stupid cheeks, stop it! Yeah, her crush on Kirito was growing bigger and deeper by the day, but stop it, she was in public!

"If you say so... Oh, Argo replied."

Once she had her blush under control, Lisbeth coughed and turned back. Kirito swiped the menu screen to the side a bit, and they both peered at what the info broker had sent them. Titan's Hand, Argo's message said, was a somewhat notorious orange guild, known to prey on players near the upper middle Floors; a lot of players had been reporting being attacked by the guild and robbed of all their money. To make things worse, if a player didn't have 'enough' money, Titan's Hand had no problem killing them instead; that's what earned them the name 'orange guild'. So that's what happened to the Silver Flags, Lisbeth thought somberly. The orange guild was led by someone named Rosalia, a redhead with a spear.

"I thought that after we dealt with Rafflesia, the orange guilds would have stopped," Lisbeth sighed. "And how have we not done anything about these guys yet?"

Kirito shook his head. "We've all been pushing forward, trying to get through as many Floors as possible," he said. "And Titan's Hand only started being visible recently, according to Argo. See, the first report was in May?"

Lisbeth frowned. "I just don't like that we're leaving the mid-liners like that. The Army is helping out in the Town of Beginnings, so the rear-liners are fine, but there's nobody really helping out the players trying to level up to join us on the front lines..." She shook her head. "Maybe if we had more of a presence? I mean, all of the front-liners, not just the Royal Blades."

"No, that's a good idea," Kirito said. "You have a point. We should do something about it..." He rested his chin on his folded hands. "I'll talk to Argo about it and see if we can start recruiting a few more players to help patrol the middle lines for things like Titan's Hand." After nodding, he stood up. "Well, we'd better go figure out what we're going to do about Rosalia and Titan's Hand."

* * *

"So, we were trying to figure out what to do," Lisbeth said. "But it was the same problem as when we were trying to catch Rafflesia. We're just too well-known to blend in. And we can't even use Alice or Kana again, thanks to Argo's newspaper."

"Thankfully," Kirito sighed.

Lisbeth smirked at him. "I don't know, Asuna _did_ get a few versions of my outfit, there's one in pink that would look _adorable_ on you... Maybe we can be twins, I just need to do your hair right, grab matching hair clips -"

"No," Kirito said flatly.

"Buzzkill."

Silica cleared her throat. While she couldn't deny being interested in the mental image Lisbeth was painting, that didn't really explain why they'd messaged her. "Um... So what does that have to do with me?"

Lisbeth looked over and grinned at Silica. "Well, so, now that you've got Pina, a lot of people are talking about you and your dragon. You're the Dragon Tamer Silica, right?" The Feathered Little Dragon in question chirped curiously from where she was sitting on Kirito's head, perched contentedly. "So, that's what most people think of when they see your name!"

Silica was pretty sure she knew where this was going, but Kirito's next words confirmed her suspicions. "I think, if we switch out your equipment and hang on to Pina for the day, you can catch them."

Pina let out a cry. "Kyuui!"

"Pina, it's okay," Silica said. "I'll do it. I'm the only one that can, right?" When Kirito and Lisbeth both nodded, Silica planted her hands on her hips resolutely. Her cute orange blouse and red skirt _maybe_ kinda ruined the effect she was going for, but whatever! She was sure she still looked imposing. ...Probably. "You'll be fine staying with Kirito for a while, right?"

The Feathered Little Dragon let out a disgruntled squawk, but settled down on her second-favorite person, hopping off of Kirito's head and back-winging for a few seconds before getting a good perch on his shoulder. "Sounds good," Lisbeth said before swiping open her menu. "Here, use this equipment. It's lower-level, but not too much. About on par with what someone would be using on Floor 12, if they'd purchased it from this Floor."

It was a dagger and light breastplate; Silica wasn't a _huge_ fan of the fighting style, but she still had a few ranks in the Dagger Sword Skills. She'd be able to use them. Still... "I don't know if this is a good idea," she said. "I mean, I usually use a one-handed sword, right?"

"It's fine," Kirito said. "Besides, wearing it will make you look cute and vulnerable, so Rosalia might think you're a good target. Plus, since it'll be a nice weapon you're a little unfamiliar with, it'll look like you have plenty of col and just bought the most powerful one. ...Silica?"

"Kyuru?" Pina chirped, looking at Kirito in confusion.

Silica had gone bright red when Kirito said that she looked cute, turning around and crouching like the flowerbed in front of her was the most interesting thing in the world. Aaah, she felt like she was going to catch fire!

"...Oh, I get it," Lisbeth said suddenly. "I can take it from here, Kirito. Go on, this is a girls-only talk. Shoo, shoo!" She made little pushing motions at Kirito, and he backed off to give them space. Lisbeth nodded in satisfaction and turned back to Silica. "Man, you've got it bad, huh?"

"Wh-wh-what are you talking about, Liz?" Silica stammered, doing her best to pretend she had no idea what Lisbeth was talking about. "I-I-I don't have a crush on K-Kirito, not at all!" Whoops. Okay, so _maybe_ she wasn't thinking clearly.

Lisbeth smirked. "Suuuure you don't," she said. "Anyway, I think you're almost good to go. Stand up and let me take a look..." When Silica did as she asked, Lisbeth hummed thoughtfully. "Tch, this store-bought crap offends my sensibilities as a blacksmith. But, it'll do... Rrgh, I'm trying so hard not to go make something new right now."

"It's okay, Liz," Silica said, patting her on the arm. "You do so much for us already."

"It's the least I can do," the blacksmith said, waving her hand. "But those twintails might stand out a bit... Hey, I have an idea. Let's see, hold still." Silica did as Lisbeth asked, blinking in confusion as the pink-haired girl fiddled with her hair for a second. "There! Perfect."

"What did you do?" Silica tilted her head, and tossed it a bit. She still felt her twintails bounce, so it wasn't like she'd undone her hairstyle or anything like that.

Lisbeth grinned. "A little cosmetic item Asuna asked me to - I mean, uh, something I found. Crap, that's supposed to be a secret between the two of us..." Silica blinked, confused, but decided to ignore it. Instead, she headed over to the fountain and leaned over, peering at her reflection in the water.

Aah! "I have cat ears!" she exclaimed, reaching up and watching her reflection do the same. Her questing hands found soft, furry appendages on the top of her head, and when her fingers brushed them they flicked just like Pina's did. The cat Pina, not dragon Pina, she added to herself. "Liz, what the heck?"

"It catches the eye!" Lisbeth said innocently. She couldn't fool Silica, she knew how much Lisbeth liked cosplay! Almost as much as Asuna! "Nobody's gonna notice you have twintails with those cuties on your head!"

Mrrrgh. Well, Silica was forced to admit that Lisbeth _did_ have a point, so... "Oh, fine," she said. "But don't tell Ar- hey, Liz, no pictures!" Lisbeth tucked away a recording crystal and whistled, pretending she hadn't done a thing. "Rrr, you suck." She elbowed her friend in the side, and Lisbeth coughed in surprise and a little bit of pain.

...

" _You're_ a little young to be up here on your own," the woman with red hair covering one eye said, twirling a lock around her finger. Her equipment was nice cloth armor, with fur cuffs and a half cape covering her left leg. A silver spear with a crossbar just below the hilt hung on her back. "So what do you say? Join up with our party, and it'll be a _breeze_ getting through the dungeon. I've heard they've got some really rare items up there as a reward for clearing it."

"Sure," Silica said. This woman was really creeping her out... But this was Rosalia, the person Kirito and Lisbeth had told her was the leader of Titan's Hand. Maybe the way she kept caressing the shaft of her spear was just a weird quirk? Argo had those whiskers, and Asuna kept trying to pet Pina, so it wasn't like _her_ friends were all that normal... "I'm not very experienced, but please take care of me!" she said, bowing.

The player leading the party sent her the invite, and Silica hesitated for an instant before pressing Accept. She really really hoped that Kirito's cover story worked... "Welcome to the party... Silica?" the man asked, blinking. "Like, the Royal Blades Silica?"

"Eheheh... She's my hero," Silica said with a giggle. That would explain the twintails in their minds, at least... "But it was just a really weird coincidence. Our names are spelled really similarly, I guess."

"That makes sense," one of the boys said. He was tall and thin, standing next to another guy that was short and squat. "The other Silica always has that cute dragon with her."

Rosalia rolled her eyes. "Come _on_ , you can fawn over the little darling later," she sighed. "We're burning daylight." Silica narrowed her eyes. The redhead was starting to get on her nerves... She checked the cursor over Rosalia's head again, just in case some miracle had happened. Nope, still green.

The whole time they were on the quest, Rosalia was just... Ugh, she was just the _worst!_ Silica had no idea how the others managed to stand her. She was always whining about needing more potions and healing crystals, or complaining that the other boys were protecting Silica, which was totally untrue. And it didn't help that Silica felt clumsy without her shield and sword providing a comforting counterweight. She missed a lot of easy attacks that she knew she should have nailed. Naturally, the guys all fell over themselves to assure her that she was doing great and not to worry about it.

Ugh, this sucked, Silica sighed, her twintails drooping. She really wished she could be with Kirito. _He_ never patronized her. None of the Royal Blades did, and that was why they were her best friends. After Pina the Cat, of course.

"Finally," she grumbled under her breath petulantly when they beat the dungeon boss. "...Oh! The ore dropped for me!"

"Congrats," the leader of their party said with a wide smile. "Luck was on your side, I guess."

"Yeah, I didn't get it."

"Me either."

As the rest of her party chimed in with congratulations at her random drop, Silica chanced a peek at Rosalia before shivering a little bit. The older woman - maybe college age, Silica guessed - was watching her with a predatory smirk, her tongue flicking out and moistening her lips. ...Eww, Silica thought privately.

Under the pretense of sorting her items, Silica sent off a quick message to her guild members. It wouldn't send while she was in the dungeon, but the second she exited into the field... It didn't take long for everyone to exit the dungeon and before too much time had passed they were nearly back at the closest town. For all the talk of the dungeon being difficult, they hadn't had much trouble with the dungeon. She figured it made sense; after all, they had gone in with a full party.

"Oh, Silica," Rosalia mentioned just as they were about to cross the bridge back into town. The woods they were in were a little gloomy, especially since the sun was starting to set, but it was thin enough that there was still plenty of orange light. "Would you mind being a dear and speaking with me for a second?"

"...Sure!" Silica chirped, playing oblivious as she told the leader that they were going to be leaving the party here. He agreed, and both Silica and Rosalia dropped from the party without any hassle. The other members of the part waved as they headed back to town, and Silica waved back until they were out of sight. "So, um, Miss Rosalia, what did you want to talk about?"

Rosalia smiled, leaning on her spear a little bit. "Oh, just to congratulate you on getting the rare drop, Silica. It's a low percentage, you know, so it's _very_ valuable." Silica smiled and shifted her weight, preparing to jump away or equip her real armor. Abruptly everything about Rosalia's body language changed as she dropped the smile. "Now," she said, her voice going hard and cruel, "hand it over."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Silica asked, pressing a hand to her chest.

Rosalia just approached the girl carelessly. "Give me the rare item, and nobody will get hurt."

Silica swallowed, and then swiped open her menu. Before she went any further, however, she said, "I'm not giving this to you, Rosalia. Or the orange guild. You're the leader of Titan's Hand, aren't you?"

"Oh?" Rosalia shifted her weight, unconcerned.

"You were part of the part so that you could find victims, right?" she asked. "And because I'm the only one who got the drop, you're trying to lure me into an ambush."

Rosalia smirked. "You're perceptive, for a little girl. Sure, I was part of that party for one reason alone, to watch them earn that _beautiful_ money." She licked her lips, and a shiver ran up Silica's spine and through her twintails. Gross... "So, if you know all that, why haven't you given up yet? Are you an idiot?"

"Actually," Silica said, screwing up her courage, "I've been looking for you, Rosalia." Yes! she cheered to herself. She said it like she _knew_ Kirito would have!

Rosalia's smirk faded as she watched Silica almost thoughtfully. "What _are_ you talking about?"

"You hurt people," she told the redhead. "People like the Silver Flags."

"Oh, right," Rosalia murmured, twirling her finger in her hair. " _Those_ losers. They didn't have any money."

"So you killed them!?" Silica exclaimed, outraged. "Rrr... No wonder he wanted you to go to jail."

Rosalia sighed, shifting her weight again and her grip on her spear. "Whatever," she said in a totally disinterested voice. "It's about time you start worrying about yourself." She snapped her fingers, and Silica felt a moment of worry when a small mob of players stepped out from behind trees. She'd never picked up the Search or Detection Skill, relying on Argo and Leafa for that, so she had no idea there were ten orange players just waiting around for Rosalia to call for them.

Silica didn't hesitate, though. With practiced ease, she manipulated her menu as the bandits closed in. A light enveloped her for an instant before flashing away, revealing that she'd equipped all of her normal equipment; a heavy one-handed sword and shield were on her arms, and her regular armor was safely around her, protecting her once again.

"Huh?" One of the swordsmen said. "Wait..."

"One-handed sword, heavy armor... Twintails..." Another of the bandits, carrying a mace, hesitated. "Rosalia, you said her name's Silica? She's a member of the Royal Blades!"

Rosalia scoffed. "That's not possible. Do you see that blue lizard anywhere? And she didn't have the guild symbol in her icon bar when we were part of the same party."

"Hey!" Silica exclaimed. "You take that back! Pina's not a lizard!"

"I dunno, boss," the _smart_ bandit said. "Something doesn't feel right..."

"Oh, stop being a coward and kill her already!" Rosalia shouted.

Most of the bandits charged Silica, with the only one hesitating being the mace-user. Even still, he gave up and attacked as well. Silica was surprised; their attacks just seemed so _weak_. She was able to set her feet and stand firm, blocking their Sword Skills almost effortlessly. Still, there _were_ a lot of them, so Silica wasn't able to block everything. Slowly but surely, her health started to drain. Closer, closer... Silica kept an eye on it, trying to figure out if she needed to use a potion.

Really, she didn't want to attack them if she could help it. Kirito told her she should be careful not to hurt them...

"Kyuru!"

Silica's eyes lit up as a healing breath washed over her, courtesy of her friend. "Pina!" she exclaimed, smiling widely as the Feathered Little Dragon circled her head. "You're here!" And if Pina was here, that meant Kirito was nearby! The Feathered Little Dragon landed on the ground and snarled, her hackles raising as she flared her wings. Silica giggled; even when this angry, Pina was still adorable. "Thanks for healing me, Pina."

"Krrr!"

The members of Titan's Hand took a few steps away from Silica and Pina. "She really is from the Royal Blades," the mace-user said. "Rosalia, we -"

He stopped, his words choking in his throat. Silica tilted her head and blinked until she realized why he'd stopped; Rosalia had her chin tilted back by the edge of Kirito's sword, carefully held just centimeters from her skin. Meanwhile, Lisbeth was approaching them, mace and buckler at the ready. Against just Silica, they might have been able to win - but now they were against the Dragon Tamer, the Master Blacksmith, and the Black Prince himself. One by one, they raised their hands, dropping their weapons.

"Oh good," Lisbeth said, "they're not gonna fight back. That makes things easier, doesn't it?" She held up the Corridor Crystal and it gleamed. "Off to jail with all of you."

Titan's Hand, Rosalia included, was unceremoniously marched through the Corridor. Once the redhead was through, the portal snapped shut behind them and every member of the Royal Blades let out a sigh of relief. Pina hopped around for a bit before leaping into Silica's arms, licking her master on the cheek. "I missed you too, Pina," she said, hugging her dragon. "I'll make sure to give you plenty of peanuts tonight, okay?"

"Kyui!" Pina chirped happily, licking Silica again. She giggled and wiped at her face.

"I'm glad everything went well," Kirito said, his sword sheathed on his back again. "I was a little worried about you, for a minute."

Silica grinned, slightly embarrassed that he'd say something like that, and Lisbeth threw her arm around Silica's shoulder. "Ah, you knew she'd be fine," Lisbeth said with a grin. " _You_ just wanted to see her in these cute cat ears, riiight?" With a teasing tone in her voice, her other hand played with the cat ears the accessory gave Silica.

"Liz, stop that!" Silica protested. "Oh, why are you so mean! Liz you're the worst! Kirito, help!"

Naturally, Kirito just scratched his cheek and looked away sheepishly.

* * *

Lisbeth sat down at her forge and watched it flame to life. Hmm, she hummed, it was starting to get a little cramped after she'd upgraded it to a larger size. The corkboard on the wall had a few important notes, like the best place to find certain materials, as well as the most important thing - pictures of the Royal Blades. She was in most of them, smiling and laughing, but there were a few of her friends on their own. She felt warm inside every time she looked at them, so they were displayed prominently in her workspace.

Other than the forge, there was her anvil, her whetstone, a bunch of crates holding materials for quick access, tools she could use if necessary... Yeah, it was getting hard to walk around. They'd just opened up the 40th Floor recently, so maybe it would be a good time to start looking for a shop, sometime soon.

Lisbeth shook her head. Focus on what you're doing, Liz, she told herself, and equipped the heavy brown gloves that she always used when forging anything. They gave her a boost to her Blacksmithing Skill, and increased the chances that the weapons and armor she made had good stats, so of _course_ she wore them. "Okay, it's hot enough, give me the mats you want used," she said to Kirito.

He was standing along the wall, just watching her work, but at her words he pulled out the sack of ores he wanted used. They would help influence the final stats of the weapon, even though it was mostly up to luck. She accepted the materials and tossed them into the furnace, waiting for the sudden burst of heat to die down. Once it had, she picked up her tongs and clamped them around the ingot sitting on her anvil. Here we go, she thought, and took a deep breath before shoving it into the forge.

The ingot heated up until it was glowing cherry red, and she pulled it out and ferried it over to the anvil. As she picked up the hammer and selected what she wanted to make, setting the details like weight and length, the world almost seemed to fall away until it was just her, her hammer, and the ingot itself.

The first blow crashed down on the ingot. Then the second. Then the third. Lisbeth closed her eyes, feeling that it was the right thing to do, for some reason. She pictured the ingot in her mind, and then the face of the boy she was making it for. A warmth bloomed in her chest unrelated to the heat of the forge, and a soft smile tugged at her lips. Yeah... This was for Kirito. The boy she was in love with. Her Someone Special.

 _Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!_

This was going to be a masterpiece. With every hammer blow, she poured her feelings into the blade in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, they'd reach Kirito. She wasn't sure what she'd do if they _did_ , but... She needed this. This was how she was going to forge the best blade she could!

Memories of their time together flashed through her head. Meeting him on the second Floor when she rescued Silica... Joining the Royal Blades, even before they were officially a guild... That magical moment last Christmas when he gave her the beautiful necklace around her neck... All the times she'd gotten closer to him, little by little.

Over and over her hammer slammed down on the ingot, until finally a bright light shone through her eyelids. Lisbeth pulled back the hammer and opened her eyes, watching as the glowing ingot shifted and reshaped itself into a one-handed longsword. Eventually, the crimson glow of the fire's heat faded away, leaving her with the blade itself sitting on her anvil.

It was a wonderful sword, with a snow-white hilt. The crossguard was gold and red, like a rising sun, and a sapphire stone gleamed in the center of the crossguard. The blade itself was long and straight; the core part of the metal was red with a gold stripe directly down the center, but the edge was cold steel so pale it was almost as white as the hilt of the sword.

Lisbeth stared at it, ignoring the information pop-up for a second, before she remembered herself. "'Burning Heart'," she read out loud. "That's its name. And I don't think Argo has any information about it, so... it's a brand new sword." Reverently, she picked it up - heavy! she nearly gasped - and offered it to Kirito. "Here, Kirito. It's yours. My masterpiece."

"R-Right," he said, accepting the blade. He focused on it, studying the sword, and then finally asked, "Is it okay to take it outside? I'd like to try a few Sword Skills."

"Sure," Lisbeth said. She followed him out, cradling a white sheath against her chest as they headed out to the practice circle. Kirito stood there, eyes closed, before he whipped the sword up. Its glowing edge traced trails in the air, each one different colors as Kirito ran through the basic Sword Skills for a one-handed sword.

Before long, he'd finished whatever testing it looked like he needed to do, he let the sword hang down, tip pointed towards the ground. "Hmmm..."

"Y-Yeah?" Lisbeth asked, her throat dry all of a sudden. "How... How is it?"

Kirito stared at the sword for another few seconds, before he turned to Lisbeth. She felt her heart leap into her throat at the sight of the huge smile on his face. "It's amazing... No, amazing doesn't do this justice," he said. "It fits in my hand, and the way it moves... It's like it was made for me and only me!"

Lisbeth grinned. "Well, I'm glad you like it."

Kirito nodded. "I really do. Thanks, Liz. I'll use it as long as you help me keep it in fighting shape."

"Wouldn't want it to break like your old one, huh?" Lisbeth nudged his side and grinned. "But this sword is special, you know? This one you have to pay for!"

"Huh?" Kirito said, staring at her in surprise. She expected that; she'd never charged before, she'd just taken money out of the guild coffers to pay for materials.

"Yep," Lisbeth told him as she offered the white sheath to him. "But I'll be charging interest, so hurry up and clear the game, got it?"

Kirito grinned. "Once we're out of here, I'll come find you right away. I wouldn't want you to charge any more interest, right?"

"Right. It's a promise," she said happily.

And then... When they met in the real world, she'd tell him how she felt. If she could manage to put her feelings for Kirito ahead of her friendship with the others...

* * *

 **Little known fact: Lisbeth and Silica are, in fact, cute. Amazing, I know, but true!**

 **Alright, so since Kirito unlocked Dual Blades in this chapter, I'll explain the skill itself. Unlock conditions: Kill ten thousand enemies with each weapon (20,000 total). The count doesn't reset with different weapons, but will keep track of which hand is used. Since Kirito is right-handed, his left hand was the one lagging behind, and the ten thousandth kill was oh-so-fortuitously in the fight against the Feral Warder Chief. The rest of the details are in the chapter itself: it removes the damage penalty to using two swords and allows for Dual Blades Sword Skills to be used, as well as a few other little buffs here and there. It's basically a reward for being stupid enough to fight at a disadvantage for a long time. Kinda like Magikarp.**

 **Other than that, yes! That was the Feral Warder Chief that killed Yuna (from Ordinal Scale). She popped up as a small cameo later in the chapter. Hooray, she lives (and Eiji is still friendzoned forever).**

 **After that, we switched to Silica on To Catch A Predator (And Also A Thief). Rosalia is one of those weird slimeball characters where she's strangely fun to write, if only to have a totally unrepentant character to be evil and then also be wrecked. Silica's voice is fun to write, too, since she's convinced she's grown up and mature except her inner voice is still very much a kid at heart. She's still powerful, and adorable, in her full setup, though. (Also I like her Cait Sith appearance more than her SAO look. That, plus Liz being one of the people that likes cosplay, along with Asuna, resulted in Silica having kitty ears.)  
**

 **And Liz forged one of the two swords Kirito will be using for the rest of the story! Right now, Burning Heart is... roughly on par with a sword from Floor 50-55? Basically she rolled really well on her forging, so it's super powerful (That's the power of love~). The design was taken and modified from Lingering Heart, the sword she forges in Hollow Fragment, but that's just the base idea. Either way, she's decided on when she's making her love confession! You go, girl - if she can figure out how not to hurt the others in doing so, that is.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

 **November 12th, 2023**

The 45th Floor was one of the _creepy_ Floors. The trees all looked bare and sparse, with skeletal fingers grabbing at the sky, and the carpet of dead leaves crunched underfoot. Even when the sun was high in the sky it was gloomy, and once the _moon_ came out it was nearly impossible to pick out the path from the fog that covered the entire Floor. Leafa didn't mind all that much, really; as long as she could swing her sword, she wasn't going to be afraid of anything. It actually reminded her of when she and her big brother would go out on Halloween, both of them in costumes and trying to get as much candy as possible. Which, come to think of it, they hadn't ever done with Asuna. Hmm, would she have _better_ Halloween hauls because of where she lived? Or would it maybe be worse since there were fewer houses?

Definitely a dilemma. Leafa decided that she'd bring it up when they managed to beat the game and were back home again. SAO was a lot of fun (as long as she ignored the whole death game thing, which... well, she was trying) but it couldn't really pull off a proper Halloween. The event mobs had been neat, but she was glad the pumpkins stopped spawning everywhere...

"So where are we going, Argo?" Silica asked the info broker.

Argo glanced around, then down at the map she was carrying in her hands. "Mmmm... This way, pretty sure," she said, pointing towards a small gap in the trees. "Hate this fog, worse than Floor 3," she grumbled, before glancing over her shoulder at Silica. "Heard rumors from NPCs in town that there's a creepy church out in th forest, so I figured I'd take a look m'self. See if there's any info worth sellin'. It's gotta be there fer a reason."

Leafa just hummed happily, walking on Kirito's left. Asuna was on his right, pressing suspiciously closely to him - so close she'd actually grabbed onto his arm and was holding it to her chest, ignoring anything else nearby. Even the random environment noises made her flinch a little bit, burying her face in his chest. Leafa was pretty sure nobody else noticed what was going on, though, since the three of them were walking at the back; Silica and Lisbeth were walking with Argo in order to protect the girl while she read the map.

Asuna had made it through Floor 5 without revealing her secret by only leaving the inns if she was alone with Kirito, Leafa, or both of the Kirigaya siblings. That being said, Leafa was pretty sure she wasn't going to make it through this Floor as well.

"Ah, there it is!" Lisbeth said, pointing up ahead of them. "Finally!"

A large, ominous church loomed out of the fog, appearing in front of them abruptly. The Royal Blades passed through a wrought-iron gate with ornate twists in the metal, following a simple dirt path towards the front door. Graves, tilted and clustered together, lined either side of the road. It looked a lot like typical gothic architecture she'd seen in a bunch of the games she'd watched Kirito play back in the real world. As they got close to the front door, Kirito gently leaned over and nudged Asuna. "You should let go," he whispered to her. Asuna hugged his arm a little tighter for a second before letting go, brushing her hair back and putting on a brave face.

The door to the church creaked open as Lisbeth and Argo pushed on it. "Of course it's creaking," Silica complained, shivering despite the tepid temperature. "Is it just me or does this place feel like it's going to fall apart?"

"It even _feels_ run-down," Leafa mentioned. The inside was just as dreary as the outside; lit by candles flickering on the walls, the place was clearly abandoned, with a few pews shifted out of line and one or two just outright destroyed and reduced to kindling. A large stained glass window - just colorful glass, no image as far as Leafa could tell - took up the right wall, sending little patches of colored light dancing across the ripped carpet. "We should be careful where we step, it might break."

Argo folded her map away and rubbed her hands together. "Alright, let's get ta lookin', shall we?" The info broker's new battle equipment gave her an almost roguish air when combined with the grin on her face; her new brown hood only covered her upper body, but was higher quality than before and had a lighter strip of color along the edges. The hood was part of a coat that covered most of her arms, though it had slits to leave the upper arm exposed; Argo had paired the hood and jacket with a green scarf and a dark crop top, leaving her stomach exposed aside from a few straps crossing across her back. Her pants were lighter brown than the hood and jacket, and only went to her knees; the side slit exposed most of her thighs, though Leafa couldn't see any underwear visible. A few bonus pouches for items hung off of her black belt that sat loosely on her hips.

The Rat was clearly excited to start poking around and see what secrets this Safe Zone held, but Kirito reached out and caught the back of her hood before she could take more than a few seconds. As she squawked in surprise, he said, "Maybe we should look at the altar first?"

"It does stand out," Lisbeth said. "Y'know, with the whole candles surrounding it thing."

Argo sighed. "Okay, fine, we'll look there _first_. Buzzkills," she muttered under her breath. Leafa and Asuna giggled at her clear disappointment, played up for theatricality like she always did.

Of course, the altar was the first place Leafa would have looked anyway; it _was_ the most suspicious place in the whole church, after all. The carpet led straight towards it, and it was lit up by a ton of candles scattered around. It was eerily like a ritual was taking place, or maybe that it had been interrupted halfway through? Leafa wasn't quite sure. Either way, she followed the others and approached the altar.

Asuna was the first one there, and she gasped in shock. "Oh! Look, it's two rings!" Sure enough, when Leafa clustered around the others, Asuna was right - there were two rings resting on the top of the altar. They were both darkened by time and wear, but they still seemed like they'd fit a finger. "Hm, they seem old..."

"Let me see, Asuna," Leafa said, and Asuna obligingly handed the ring over.

"But why are there two?" Kirito asked, reaching for the second ring as Leafa held the one in her hands up to the light. "This _has_ to be -"

The instant his fingers brushed the ring still on the altar, a bright light shone from both rings. Leafa was forced to shield her eyes as it got brighter and brighter, and then it finally disappeared. She blinked the spots from her vision, rubbing at her eyes with both hands - Ah! "Hey, where did it go?" Leafa asked, staring at her empty hand. "I was holding onto the ring, and then it just disappeared..."

"Oh?" Argo's eyes were intense and lively as her hand darted out to catch Leafa's. "What's all this?" She turned Leafa's left hand over, and everyone gasped in shock. The ring that had been in her hands was now sitting snugly around her left ring finger. "Guess it equipped itself."

"Wha... Hey, this won't come off!" Kirito complained. The others looked over at him, only to realize that he was tugging at a ring on his _own_ left ring finger. It was the matching ring to Leafa's own. "It's... stuck!"

"Gyahahaha! Finally, it's time!" The old, creaky voice surprised everyone, and they all whirled. An old man in a ratty dark robe was standing by a doorway, raising his skeleton-thin arms in the air. "Soon! Soon my greatest wish will come to pass!" He lowered his arms and stared at the Royal Blades, his eyes bright with madness. "Feed my creation with your life, sacrifices! You shall know the true distance between the two of you, and suffer for it! Gyaaahahahaha!"

With another mad cackle, the man turned and fled through the door. It boomed shut behind him, before cracking open just a hair. At the same time, a quest prompt popped up and scrolled down, updating itself automatically.

"Yes!" Argo grinned victoriously, pumping her fist in the suddenly silent church. "Got it! Now, let's take a lil' look at th' quest, huh? Lessee... 'Ritual of the Joining', eh?"

Lisbeth grinned. "That sounds suspiciously like something a brother and sister _shouldn't_ be doing," she said. She nudged Leafa's side with her elbow. "Eh? Eh?"

"K-Knock it off, Liz," Leafa protested weakly. B-But the rings _were_ on their ring fingers, just like w-w-wed... A brilliant blush bloomed over Leafa's face and she whimpered quietly, staring at the cool metal band on her finger. M-M-M-Married to her big brother... Almost without realizing it, she pressed her left hand to her heart, feeling it beat so rapidly.

Silica tilted her head thoughtfully. "...Is it supposed to be a marriage band, or an engagement ring?" she asked.

Leafa let out a squeak and abruptly tried to leave, too mortified to be standing there. Her steps were quick and hurried, and she wasn't sure _where_ to go except she didn't want to be the center of attention, so she - "Wahh!" she exclaimed as her foot caught on a piece of stone that wasn't _quite_ level. She fell flat on her face, a cartoonish _whump_ sound echoing out as if the Cardinal game engine had decided to make fun of her too.

The others blinked in silence as she sat up, kneeling. "Ow..." she muttered, rubbing at her forehead.

Asuna smiled faintly as she walked over and patted Leafa's head. "Let's focus on clearing the quest," she said. "Argo, does the quest log mention our goal?"

Argo glanced at the blushing Leafa and then Asuna, before visibly shrugging, her cloak rippling. "Nothin' special," she said. "Jus' that we need ta chase after that guy in th' bathrobe. Also, might wanna figure out what 'xactly the curse on Kii-boy an' Leafa is 'fore we get in trouble."

She gestured upwards with a finger and Leafa checked her HUD out of habit before gasping. They _were_ cursed; a purple skull icon was sitting next to her health bar, a matching one beside Kirito's HP bar. "It doesn't... _seem_ to do anything," she said, checking her stats. They were the same as before. Maybe it's just to show that we can't take the rings off?"

"Maybe," Argo shrugged.

"We'll worry about it when it's an issue," Kirito said firmly. "Everyone ready?" A chorus of female voices agreed in the affirmative, and they all headed towards the door the quest NPC had vanished through. As Leafa scrambled to her feet and followed him, she left the Safe Zone - or, she mentally added, this was counted as a dungeon so it didn't apply - and shivered a little bit. They were in the back of the church, now; the hallways seemed to twist and wind, though paradoxically it was better-lit thanks to more candles on the wall.

The first thing they encountered was a split in the path. Frowning, Silica and Lisbeth both peered down each branch, before shaking their heads. "I can't tell which one's the right way," Silica reported. Lisbeth just spread her arms helplessly.

"Guess we're splittin' up?" Argo offered. The girls and Kirito exchanged a round of glances. Naturally, they were going to be looking for all the dead-ends first; Leafa had learned well at the foot of Kirito's RPG knowledge. That's where all the treasure was. "Hm..."

"I'll go with Kirito," Lisbeth said, raising a hand. Argo raised an eyebrow, and Lisbeth poorly hid a smirk behind her hand. "You can come with us, Argo."

Leafa considered pressing her sibling advantage but shrugged when Asuna didn't protest. "This way," the long-haired girl said, "we're fairly evenly split between damage and defense."

"Okay," Silica said. Pina chirped and flapped her wings from her perch on Silica's shoulder.

The two groups nodded at each other and split up; Leafa, Asuna, and Silica headed left, while Kirito, Argo, and Lisbeth took the right path. They'd either meet up when the paths crossed or one group found a -

"Agh!" Leafa exclaimed as her body suddenly locked up, going numb. Her health started plunging, _way_ too fast for comfort. Shaking, she collapsed into Asuna's arms, her vision rapidly pulsing red and black. "A-Asuna..."

"Sugu!" Asuna shouted, immediately concerned. "Your HP! ...And Kazuto's, too! What's going... the curse!"

She felt Asuna move her backwards, pulling her body - and then abruptly the numbness disappeared and her health stopped dropping. Gasping for breath, Leafa huddled in Asuna's arms for safety. "What happened?" Silica asked, eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay, Leafa?"

"I think so," she said. After she took a few more deep breaths, she stood up. Asuna's embrace was still soothing, though, so she kept hugging her almost-big sister. It was pretty much set in stone she was going to be her big sister, at least. They'd spent enough time together that it _felt_ that way. "I don't know why the curse suddenly activated, though."

"Heeeey!" Lisbeth called. The other group of three was hurrying down the corridor towards them, Lisbeth helping Kirito stay upright. They were only a few steps away. "You guys okay?"

When they met, Asuna immediately pulled Kirito into a hug before fussing over him, making sure he was okay. "I was so worried," she said, hands pressing and probing his chest as if their bodies could actually get hurt. "Did you drink a potion yet? Here, drink this..." She pressed a potion into Kirito's hand and one into Leafa's as well, and then watched like a hawk while they both drank them. Leafa didn't mind the fussing, honestly.

While that was going on, Lisbeth, Silica, and Argo were trying to figure out why the two cursed players had suddenly started losing health. "It only happened once we got far enough down the halls," Lisbeth said.

"So it's definitely related to th' curse, right?" Argo said, tugging idly at her hair. "But what triggered it? We weren't fightin', so it's not that..."

Silica tilted her head, making her twintails bounce. "Um, didn't that weird guy say something about knowing the true distance, and suffering?"

The girls all turned to look at Leafa and Kirito. Leafa glanced at Kirito herself; they were standing next to each other, having just finished the potions. They were perfectly fine, the curse just sitting up there and doing anything. "Wait... So Kazuto and I... we can't be too far apart, or we start losing HP?" she asked.

"Looks that way," Argo shrugged.

Leafa looked at Kirito, then back at Asuna, before a wide, smug grin spread over her face. She giggled and grabbed Kirito's arm, lacing her fingers with his. Before he could so much as blink, she was holding his left hand. "Well then, this will make sure we don't get too far apart," Leafa said with a grin. All the others stared at her, while Asuna just sighed and shook her head. "I'll just hold Kazuto's hand and never let go unless it's absolutely, definitely necessary!"

Kirito looked at his hand. "Uh, Leafa..."

"What? We're siblings, it's fine," she said, shamelessly playing her trump card immediately.

Kirito scratched his cheek. "Well, if you don't mind, I guess it's fine," he said sheepishly. Leafa just giggled happily. She got to hold hands with her big brother _all dungeon_! This was the best!

Since they couldn't split up Leafa and Kirito, the groups had to be re-shuffled. In the end, they just decided to stick together as one group, especially since Kirito and Leafa couldn't fight properly. Sure, this might not be the most efficient way to do this, Leafa thought, but it was the most fun!

Argo and Silica were the scouts, so to speak, and when the two of them backed up, Leafa prepared for combat - or, as well as she could with one hand clasped with Kirito's. Her katana was practically unusable, but one-handed was still better than nothing. Beside her, Kirito drew his new red sword and held it in front of him. "We've got trouble," Argo called back. "Mobs!"

They prepared for battle, Lisbeth stepping up to stand next to Silica - and then three pale, translucent shapes appeared, screeching and howling. The Vengeful Ghosts had ragged edges to their spectral forms, and long stringy black hair that hid their face. Their larger-than-normal hands reached out, dirty black claws scraping against Silica and Lisbeth's shields.

"Noooooo!"

The three fighters jumped at Asuna's shriek of fear. Fortunately, they didn't let their guard down, and Argo leapt to slash at the Vengeful Ghosts' sides while they were occupied trying to attack the two tanks. "The heck's that?" she shouted as her claws slashed apart the spectral forms, only to click her tongue when they reformed. "Tch, hate fightin' these things wit'out silver weapons..."

Meanwhile, Asuna was doing her level best to pretend she was literally a part of Kirito and Leafa. The siblings had, naturally, wrapped their arms around the shivering form of the Royal Blades' second-in-command as soon as she turned and screamed. It was hard to hug her properly with their weapons out, but they tried. "Asuna, you have to fight," Kirito said awkwardly. "Argo can't do this on her own, and..."

"No," Asuna wailed, pressing her face into his chest without shame. "I can't! You _know_ how I feel about this stuff!"

...

The final shriek of the Wraith of Regret died away, and the players sheathed their weapons. As a heavy clunk at the other end of the room signaled the opening of the door now that the miniboss was defeated, everyone turned to look at Leafa, Kirito, and Asuna. More accurately, Leafa thought, they turned to look at Leafa, Kirito, and the shivering limpet named Asuna. She'd steadfastly refused to do anything other than press her face into Kirito's side the whole time they were making their way through the dungeon, from the beginning of the quest until they'd found the miniboss, and now that they were safe Leafa knew the questions were about to start coming.

"Um, Asuna," Lisbeth said slowly, "the boss is gone."

Asuna squeezed her eyes shut harder. Kirito rubbed the top of her head, gently stroking her hair. "Asuna, the ghost is gone now," he whispered fondly. "You can let go."

She peeked up at him, teary-eyed, and then coughed, letting go. Leafa just gently rubbed her best friend's back soothingly. "Are you, maybe..." Silica said, "...afraid of ghosts?"

"I-I don't know why!" Asuna exclaimed. "And it's just them, nothing else!" She shivered.

Leafa nodded. "We tested it pretty thoroughly," she said, keeping a straight face as she remembered the late nights teasing Asuna with ghost stories and movies. "Asuna's fine with anything else, but as soon as it's the little bit ghost-y she's clinging to Kazuto."

"Hey, Sugu, don't tell them that!"

Leafa giggled, then wrapped her arms around Asuna in a warm hug. The older girl was still shivering a little bit, but as she hugged Asuna the shivers slowly faded away. Then another warm body joined the hug, and then another and another and another. Leafa looked up in surprise to see that everyone had joined in, forming a huge hug pile with Asuna in the center.

"Aah, let me go," Asuna complained half-heartedly. "I'm fine now that it's gone!"

"Mm, A-chan hugs," Argo said happily, nuzzling against Asuna's front. What little Leafa could see of the short girl's face held a wide smirk. "They're the best."

"Argo!" Asuna squeaked.

Everyone else just laughed cheerily. Once they let the flustered girl go, Asuna smoothed out her skirt and ran her fingers through her hair. "Alright, let's keep going," Lisbeth said. "The sooner we get through the dungeon, the sooner Kirito and Leafa can get those rings off their fingers."

Leafa glanced at the ring in question, and then gasped in shock. It was glowing a pale yellow, and as she watched some of the rust and tarnish fell away. Bits of the ring now gleamed in the light, a brilliant silver color reflecting firelight like little stars. "Ah, that's pretty," Silica gasped. "Do you think it's because we beat the boss?"

"If it is," Argo said, "we got a few more ta deal with. Those rings're still pretty dirty."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Leafa asked. "Let's get going!" With a determined stride, she headed for the door -

\- And then remembered she couldn't leave Kirito's side for more than a few steps, and headed back to him sheepishly before gripping his hand tight. "Wow, these rings are getting Leafa to stop charging ahead," Lisbeth laughed. "She _can_ learn."

"Hey, Liz," Leafa protested, giggling a little bit. "I'm not _that_ bad."

Asuna smiled weakly. "You are a little headstrong, Sugu..." Betrayed by her almost-sister! Leafa could only gape in shock.

"If it keeps up, maybe we'll just keep wearing the rings," Kirito laughed. Leafa felt a hot blush creep up the back of her neck and light her entire face on fire. S-So he doesn't... Uwaaah! She wailed inside her head silently. Everything was just too much today!

The next area was definitely creepy. Instead of pushing through the back hallways of the church, they were forced to take a detour outside when the next door turned out to be locked. In their detour outside, they ended up passing through a graveyard; the thin light from the sun filtering through a layer of fog was their only source of light. It wasn't raining, fortunately, but it was _just_ dark enough that the mobs were a constant surprise. Asuna was incredibly glad that the mobs were zombies that rose from the grave and not more astral-type monster, Leafa knew, and the beautiful girl was back in full action.

Of course, since now there were two DPS fighters, Leafa and Kirito didn't have to worry about much fighting unless a zombie appeared behind them or slipped around the two tanks and the two swordswomen. Leafa didn't mind. That just meant she got to enjoy holding her big brother's hand even more than before!

This time, they encountered the next miniboss in a dirt clearing, the wrought-iron fence forming a ring. They couldn't just walk by the clear spawn point for the zombie since the gate leading out was locked with a chain padlock. The Royal Blades didn't even bother searching for a key or anything, they just drew their weapons and walked forward.

The Spare Body died just like every other zombie mob they'd fought so far, just... slightly slower. Leafa and Kirito did fight this time, since the arena was designed to be small enough for them to fight without activating the curse. With all six Royal Blades fighting, it didn't last long enough for them to really register what they were fighting. "Huh," Lisbeth said as the rotting corpse shattered. "...That was easy."

"Who cares," Argo shrugged. "Th' gate's open, so we can keep goin'."

"The rings are glowing again," Silica said. This time, it was a pale blue glowing coming from the rings on Leafa and Kirito's ring fingers; when it faded away, more of the tarnish had faded, revealing small blue gems along the center of the rings, spaced apart evenly along the entire ring. "Ooh, that's pretty."

"Yeah," Leafa breathed, lifting her hand to stare at it. The silver of the ring was still pretty dirty, and naturally it still couldn't be removed, but she idly thought that she wouldn't mind keeping it on, if her big brother thought it looked nice...

In the end, it was about a thirty minute detour that led right to the other side of the door; Asuna slid a bolt lock out of place and nodded in satisfaction. "Should we go restock on healing items?" she asked the others. "We're being careful, but better safe than sorry."

"I don't think the curse will go away until we finish the dungeon," Leafa said slowly. "It's manageable now, but out in the open might be a problem."

"She's right, it's better to not risk it," Kirito said. Then he grinned at Asuna. "Unless you feel like going back through the first part of the dungeon? I think the mobs probably respawned by now."

Immediately Asuna walked away from the door, her back stiff and straight. Leafa giggled. "Geez, you two, stop winding her up," Lisbeth sighed. Silica sighed as well, and Argo cackled before patting Asuna's back in consolation. Leafa just smiled mischievously and promised herself she'd give Asuna a huge hug at the end of the day for putting up with them. After four years of dealing with the Kirigaya siblings, Asuna definitely deserved all the affection Leafa could give.

The third segment of the church dungeon took them upstairs; most of the monsters were skeletons in ill-fitting armor and weak swords, but they knew how to use Sword Skills which made them the most threatening mobs they'd fought that day. Aside from the midbosses, Leafa added mentally. The halls were mostly the same, aside from the mobs that would burst through doors at random; they were, however, designed to all but force the players apart with traps and twisting passages. If Leafa hadn't been happily attached at the hip with her big brother, they definitely would have been split up and forced to lose health.

Before much longer, they had explored everywhere, collecting all of the treasure. At first it seemed like they'd run into a dead end upon entering the last room they hadn't mapped, but Asuna peered out a large window in the room, an anomaly in the design of the level. "You can get to the roof from here!" she gasped.

Naturally, it was shut tight - and naturally, as they approached it, the third midboss appeared. It fell from the ceiling in a pile of bones, armor, and steel before slowly reassembling itself, clicking and clacking as the bones pulled themselves together. The Royal Blades gathered themselves and prepared to fight the Soulbound Skeleton as the two HP bars filled themselves. The skeleton clacked its jaw at them, seemingly cackling at them, before it raised its heavy steel-tipped club and charged.

Unlike the other two midbosses, this one was pretty tough; Leafa was glad their party had three tanks, since they could keep cycling Hate skills and loop the boss in an endless cycle of charging attacks that left it wide open after the charge ended. The biggest problem they ran into, honestly, was that they didn't have a source of consistent blunt-type damage. Since Lisbeth was the only one that used a mace or hammer, it limited their options; she did what she could, but the sheer length of the battle meant that they took more damage than usual out of attrition.

When they finished draining the last bit of HP, the boss crumbling into a pile of bones before shattering into blue polygons that floated away, the large window creaked open. "Guess we're headin' outside," Argo said with a shrug. She padded over to the window and pulled at the windows. "Ack! Hey, Liz, gimme a hand, they're stuck." While the two girls tugged on the windows, the two wedding bands glowed red. It felt warm on Leafa's finger, and she cradled it against her chest. The glow faded away, and she lifted her hand to take a look - "Wah!" Argo yelped as she and Lisbeth tugged extra hard on the windows, toppling over when they flew open without resistance - at the change. This time, the last of the tarnish had disappeared, leaving a beautiful silver band with ornate carving.

"I think we're almost there," Kirito said. "The rings look like they're new." Leafa glanced over to see Silica and Asuna cooing over how beautiful his band was. He looked up and met her gaze, smiling at her, and Leafa beamed back happily.

"Stupid windows," Lisbeth muttered, brushing herself off. "Alright, people, let's go!"

They filed out through the window, climbing onto the roof of the church. Leafa shivered; storm clouds had blocked out even the weak light the sun was casting. A chill wind was blowing, and she leaned over. Kirito, naturally, was super warm, and she took the chance to bask in the spot of heat before anything happened.

"Fools!"

Oh, there it is, Leafa thought as lightning cracked in the sky, illuminating the roof. It wasn't raining, fortunately. When the lightning flashed again, the old man was standing on the roof in front of them. "How dare you interfere?! When I'm so close to bringing her back, you try to stop me?!"

"Oh, so he's a necromancer," Silica said, clapping a fist against her palm. "I wonder who he's trying to bring back?"

"Prob'ly his wife, or daughter, or somethin'," Argo said with a shrug. "Rings're makin' me think wife."

The church bells started tolling, and the necromancer's wide mouth spread into a mad grin as he cackled. "At last! With your deaths, she will have enough energy to be reborn! Come!"

As the bell rang one final time, reverberating throughout their body, another lightning strike lit up the night. A massive figure, just barely human-shaped, was standing up on top of the bell tower. As the light faded as swiftly as it appeared, an inhuman roar echoed throughout the darkness. The shape jumped from the tower, briefly silhouetted against the clouds, before it slammed onto the roof, shattering it. "A forced transport!" Kirito shouted as they fell. "This is definitely the final boss!"

They all landed in the chapel they'd started in, the altar at the back glowing an ominous purple color while the necromancer chanted over it. In front of them, the creature that had jumped down and shattered the roof reared up and let out another howl. It was misshapen, but Leafa was pretty sure it was supposed to be a human; long stringy hair clumped in patches, and its arms were as thick as tree trunks, forcing the tall creature to stand in a hunchback. The Failed Experiment... It had three health bars, marking it as the final boss of the area. They started to fill slowly, and -

"...Huh?" Lisbeth asked when the last health bar stopped filling halfway, the other two still empty. "What?"

"What?!" the necromancer shrieked. "How did your drained life only fuel my creation that much?!"

"Nya hah hah!" Argo cackled gleefully as the Failed Experiment howled and started thundering toward them. "Its HP is equal to how much Kii-boy an' Leafa lost! An' since they stuck together like glue, it's got nothin'!"

"Scatter!" Kirito called, and they all split up and jumped to the side as the Failed Experiment hammered its fists down, the wooden ground cracking under the strength of the blow. Leafa drew her katana with the ring of metal leaving its sheath and immediately slashed, using the Crit Draw bonus unique to the Katana weapon. It scored a damaging hit on the side of the boss, a small chunk of the already low HP bar vanishing from the blow.

With a howl, the Failed Experiment lashed out with a heavy hand, catching Leafa in the side. With a cry, she went flying, crashing through one of the rotten pews. She didn't lose much health, either from the blow or until Kirito got to her side, but the curse icon in her HUD flashed and she heard a dismayed cry from Silica. "It got health back!"

"Be careful!" Asuna called. "The curse is still active, if Kazuto or Sugu take damage then it'll regain some health!" Leafa winced, regretting her hasty attack already. She'd lost health and given the boss some more. "Sugu, Kazuto, hang back!"

"We'll try!" Kirito shouted, and the Failed Experiment's head swiveled to stare at him. "But I don't think it likes us!" He was forced to dodge as the Failed Experiment pounced, landing in the pews and crushing the one where he'd been standing.

Leafa wished she could rush in and attack, but she couldn't risk getting hit again and letting her health be drained. Her grip tightened on the hilt of her katana, but she forced herself to avoid charging. Yes, she could keep her cool in a kendo match, but this wasn't anything like that. Her beloved big brother, her Asuna, her _everyone_ was in danger! But... but if she attacked, she would just be putting them in more danger.

With her hand and his clasped together, Leafa and Kirito jumped away from the Failed Experiment's next lunge. It crashed through the pews again, stumbling on its own legs and toppling to the ground. Instantly, the eyes of the other girls flashed with predatory instinct and they pounced. In a normal fight, where the players being cursed would have lost more health along the course of the dungeon, the opening would only be enough for a small amount of damage.

This, however, wasn't a normal fight. The girls were all very high-level, as befitting the most powerful guild on the front-lines. As well, the boss had incredibly low health, thanks to Leafa and Kirito never splitting apart through the entire dungeon aside from the first time the curse triggered. Finally, all of the girls had... incentive to finish the fight as quickly as possible.

Essentially, the boss had no chance once it made itself vulnerable that very first time.

As the Failed Experiment shattered and disappeared, the necromancer let out a shriek. "No... No! All my hard work..." he wailed. Unearthly green fire rose up around him, the backlash of his necromancy finally catching up to him, and with another wail the old NPC faded away.

Leafa opened her mouth to speak and congratulate the girls, but a bright white light shone from her hand. She winced, covering her eyes - and when it faded away and she could see again, the curse icon was gone from her HP bar, and Kirito's as well. "It's gone!" she exclaimed happily. "I'm not cursed anymore!"

"Then you can prob'ly take off th' ring, right?" Argo said, staring at her intently. " _Right?_ "

"Eheheh..." Leafa really didn't want to take off the ring... Well, before she took it off however reluctantly, she opened her menu to check out what exactly the ring was. "Oh! It's got really good stats!" she said with surprise. It hadn't been effective while cursed, but the Ring of Life's Bonds boosted stats all around. VIT, STR, DEF, DEX, AGI... Everything got a nice little lift.

"Let me see, Sugu... Oh wow, that is nice!" Asuna exclaimed.

Well, that settled it. It was definitely better than anything she was wearing before. Giggling, Leafa clutched at her hand. "Yep, I'm keeping it on. You're doing the same, right, Kazuto?"

"I guess," Kirito said. Leafa smiled at him before catching Asuna's eye and grinning incredibly smugly. Asuna, for her part, just rolled her eyes, huffing quietly and folding her arms before turning away.

"At... At least switch it to the right hand!" Silica exclaimed, clenching her fists. Pina let out a cry, flapping her wings. Lisbeth and Argo both nodded in agreement.

Kirito stared at them in surprise, before visibly shrugging and opening his menu. The rings on his fingers flashed briefly before the ring that had previously been on his left hand was on the mirroring finger on his right. Leafa let out a small sigh of defeat before reluctantly switching the finger she was wearing hers on as well.

They were still matching, which was enough. "How come you gave those two the rings?" Lisbeth asked Asuna.

Asuna crossed her arms defensively. "How was I supposed to know they were cursed? Or that they were engagement rings?! And it could have been any of us that ended up engaged to Ka- I mean, any of us could have been cursed!"

It was enough for now. _For now_ , Leafa promised herself.

* * *

 **November 20th, 2023**

The 47th Floor Boss fight had gone fairly well. Despite being a fierce Floor, with tough enemies and an environment that was just as dangerous - the tall cliffs were a definite falling hazard, especially since so many of the mobs specialized in knockback attacks and charges that could easily carry players off and to their deaths - the Boss fight itself had once again been cleared without casualties despite the threatening nature of the massive wyvern they were fighting. That marked the thirteenth Boss in a row that had zero casualties.

Of course, no casualties wasn't the same thing as no _injuries_.

"What were ya _thinkin'?!_ " Argo all but screeched at Kirito. "Ya big idiot!"

Kirito frowned slightly. "I don't know why you're so upset, Argo," he said. "The healing crystal fixed everything."

"Ya still lost yer hand!"

...

The argument in question was thanks to Kirito's questionable action during the boss fight; he'd thrown himself in the way of the boss's desperation attack when a player in the KoB had frozen in place, unable to move for whatever reason. The boy's partners had tried to carry him away, but because the boss had been attacking, they wouldn't have been able to get out of the way in time. They were absolutely, a hundred percent dead - until Kirito had thrown himself in the way of the blow, using his Dual Blades skill to parry the powerful attack as best he could. Unfortunately, since it had been a hasty attempt, solely to save their life, he had been vulnerable, and its blade had cut off his right hand at the wrist.

He'd been able to recover his Burning Heart blade, fortunately, but it meant that he was mostly out of the fight. The temporary Max HP penalty for losing a limb was severe, and this boss was powerful; even being slightly weakened was dangerous. Asuna and Leafa had all but bullied him off to the side, where he was forced to sit. Silica had even given Pina strict orders to guard Kirito until the fight was over.

Fortunately, the battle was over quickly enough. The victors would describe the Royal Blades as furious to a person; as such, the poor boss was shredded by claws, a rapier, a katana, a longsword, and a mace. Once the combat finished, it was only a matter of time before they returned to the Safe Zone; Kirito's hand reappeared as soon as the debuff was wiped away.

Of course, just because the hand reappeared didn't mean the girls stopped worrying. Lisbeth immediately gripped his hand, lacing her fingers between his. "So warm... Like it was always there," she whispered.

"And you're _sure_ you're not hurt, Kazuto?" Asuna pressed, hovering near his other side. The only reason she hadn't snatched Kirito up and insisted on checking his hand herself was that Leafa had already claimed his left arm for her own, hugging his arm close to her chest.

The whole time, Silica kept close to Kirito's heels, almost stepping on them from time to time when he had to stop or slow down after Lisbeth or Leafa pressed a little closer. Pina was constantly letting out a slow, quiet keen, as if sensing that her master was worried sick.

Of everyone there, only Argo wasn't visibly upset. That was, as long as nobody knew Argo as well as Kirito and the others did. She was quiet and subdued, barely doing more than trudging along a little bit behind the guild. Normally, she would be full of energy, laughing and joking about how much money she was going to make on her newspaper, but she was totally silent. Kirito glanced back out of the corner of his eye to see her staring straight ahead, like she was trying to memorize his appearance without missing a single thing.

When they got home, Asuna insisted he sit down on the couch and rest before she swept off into the kitchen. Lisbeth followed her, while Silica and Leafa ran off to go fetch him blankets or something, Kirito wasn't quite sure. Eventually, he was left alone in the living room with Argo. She stood there, stiff and taut, like something just below the surface was just about to burst. So, almost like he was preparing to attack a boss, he said, "Argo, is something wrong?"

The info broker's lips twitched, before her face went bright red - with anger. "What were ya _thinkin'?!_ " Argo all but screeched at Kirito. "Ya big idiot!"

...

"My hand is fine, Argo," he tried to tell her, but the info broker waved away his words as she hopped over the table between them, standing over him. He actually had to tilt his head back a little bit.

"It's _not_ fine, Kii-boy!" she shouted, hands on her hips. "Ya got hurt! Didn't ya think 'bout how _we_ would feel? I was terrified!"

Kirito blinked, surprised. He'd _never_ seen Argo this wound up before, no matter what he said to get a rise out of her. She would always just laugh it off or turn the tables on him. "Argo-"

"No!" she snapped. "I know you wouldn't have run away while there were players fighting! If it hadn't been th' boss's desperation attack, ya woulda gone out there and got yerself killed! An' fer what? A couple 'a players an' a newbie who froze?"

Kirito frowned. "I recognized them, Argo," he snapped. A distant part of him noticed that he'd stood up and was standing over her, now, and Argo glared up at him without backing down. Another distant part noted that Silica and Leafa had poked their heads in the doorway and were watching with wide eyes as Kirito and Argo fought. "Those players that were trying to rescue him, they were a few that went to those camps I used to give earlier. They were there in that fight because I taught them, Argo!"

"You don't owe them anythin', Kii-boy!" Argo shouted.

"What do you want me to do, Argo? Let them _die?_ " Kirito shouted back. "Maybe try thinking about someone besides yourself for once!"

Immediately, he knew he had crossed a line. All of the color drained from Argo's face, and her mouth moved soundlessly. Like someone had punched her in the face, she swayed drunkenly before she took a hesitant step away. One step turned into another and then they all cascaded as Argo turned and ran, scrambling for the stairs that led to her room. Kirito reached out desperately, hand closing on empty air like he'd still managed to grab something. Above him, he could hear Argo's footsteps scurrying across the floor, followed by the slamming of a door.

He didn't... He didn't know what to _do_. He couldn't figure out what he was feeling, whether he was upset or furious or... or anything. "K-Kirito?" Silica asked quietly.

He- he couldn't. He couldn't stay in this house, and hurt someone else. "I'll be back in a little bit," he said, trying to smile. He was pretty sure he didn't succeed. "Just need to get some fresh air."

"O-okay... Don't be out too long, Kazuto," Leafa said hesitantly.

When it was his little sister, however, Kirito _was_ able to smile. The look in her eyes told him she wasn't reassured, though. Kirito opened his mouth, intending to say something, _anything_ to soothe her, but he couldn't; it felt like everything he wanted to say was getting tangled up in his throat, the words strangling each other. After giving his sister one more silent smile, Kirito left the house and just walked without thinking about where to go. Eventually, his feet led him to the Teleport Gate in town, and Kirito called out the name of a town on the 42nd Floor. He didn't want to risk going out to the front lines, no matter how confused he was - and the 42nd Floor was easy enough for a solo player to hunt on their own.

It was a snowy area, cold even for the end of November. There was a small layer of snow on the ground - enough for it to crunch underneath his boots and color the ground white, but not enough for it to really make it hard to walk. It was quiet and peaceful, and he just let himself wander through the empty Floor for a while.

Occasionally, he'd fight. His swords made quick work of the enemies, since they were upgraded enough for the mobs five Floors higher than where he was. It was therapeutic, being able to just swing and fight without thinking. It let the mess in his heart settle, sorting itself out. He knew he'd crossed a line and said something he didn't really mean, in the heat of the moment. But how could he apologize to Argo? Was there something he could say to her to - "Ah," he said.

He'd just killed a mob, and as it shattered he realized he was staring directly at another player. They were wearing a white hood, different from the style Asuna had worn for the first few Floors of the game. Theirs was just the upper part; enough to cover their face, but that was it. Other than the white hood, the player was wearing simple leather armor, mottled for a higher stealth rate. The only concession to form over function was a bright sapphire blue scarf wrapped around their neck, dangling down their back. And in their hands was...

"Is that a bow?" he asked, eyes wide. He didn't know they even had those in the game. When the other player didn't respond right away, he raised a hand. "Oh, sorry if I'm interrupting your hunt or something. Are you a solo player, or here with a party?"

"...Just leave me alone," the player said, and Kirito realized with a blink of surprise that he was staring at a girl. She turned around, and Kirito realized that from _that_ angle, it was very obvious she was a girl... "Or stay here, whatever."

"Ah, wait -" But before he could say anything, the girl had left, heading through the forest. If he'd wanted to, he could try tracking her with his Skills. "Do I... know her?" There was something about her that was pricking at his memory, something he'd forgotten that was pressing just beneath the surface. After a few seconds of trying to remember, though, it faded away and he sighed. So much for whatever she reminded him of, he thought.

At least his original goal had succeeded; he'd come out here to clear his head and maybe try to figure out what to do. Now, Kirito didn't feel quite so confused... and he was pretty sure he knew what his next move was going to be.

* * *

Argo sniffled to herself, doing her best to keep tears from falling. She... She wasn't going to cry. She'd seen the look on Kirito's face after he said _that_ , and knew he didn't really mean it, it just came out in the heat of the moment, and...

St-stupid tears, she thought. Stop it, stop crying. You don't need to cry about this...

Argo curled up on her bed in the comforting dark, trying desperately to make her traitorous eyes listen to her. She didn't want Kirito's thoughtless words to affect her as much as they did. But they still _hurt_ , digging into her emotions and twisting every time they echoed in her head.

Argo was very intelligent, especially for her age, and that meant school had always come easy for her. Of course, she'd put in the right amount of effort - pay attention in class, take notes, study the material - but her results were simply better than a lot of her fellow students. Naturally, her name being at the top of the rankings of her school got her some attention from the others. 'Hey, Kana, can you help be with this? I don't get the math problem.' 'What's the answer for number 4?' 'Can I copy your homework? I didn't do mine, sorry.'

She'd thought they wanted to be friends at first, so she helped them out. That's what friends did, right? Helped each other with problems. She was even a little proud they were asking for her help. It meant they really liked her, right? But slowly, she started to realize that all they ever came to talk to her about was when they needed help with their homework. It was always 'math problem' this and 'test prep' that. They never wanted to talk to _her_.

So, she'd started instituting a policy. If they wanted something from her, they had to pay up first. It was like tutoring, and tutors got paid to help the students, so why should _she_ be handing out the answers for free? But as soon as Argo had started asking for a little pocket change - not even all that much! - people started whispering. 'She's making people pay to get answers.' 'She only thinks about herself, and she's not willing to help others.' 'What kind of person _does_ that?'

Well... _part_ of her plan had worked out. The students definitely stopped talking to her just to ask for help on their studies. Unfortunately, they stopped talking to her at all. Everyone that had pretended to be her friend simply left her alone. Argo didn't know what to do; all she'd wanted was for them to stop abusing her gifts for their own sake, not abandon her, but it wasn't like she could back down on her condition. In the end, she decided to just double down and not ever let them see how lonely she really was.

Even in the SAO beta, she'd been a solo player. Sure, she partied with people from time to time, she wasn't antisocial, but most of the time she played around and explored on her own. Her actions swiftly gained her a reputation as the notorious info broker that would sell anything about anyone. Nothing was off-limits, even personal information like a girl's three sizes. Heck, she'd even sell her real name if a client paid her enough, not that anyone came close to being able to pay for it in the month the beta had been active.

And then... she'd realized something. The last three parties she'd been a part of, the same player had been there. All three times, a swordsman who used two blades. Naturally, she'd known about Kirito - she couldn't call herself an info broker if she hadn't - but he'd never approached her before, so she hadn't paid too much attention. Still, three times was one too many for it to just be a coincidence, so she wasn't surprised when he eventually approached her after the third party wiped against the Floor 8 Boss. Argo even remembered exactly how that first conversation went:

 _"So, yer Kirito, right?" Argo asked, raising an eyebrow. When the kid in black nodded, she asked, "Whatcha want? I'll sell ya anythin' ya got the col for."_

 _"Actually, I didn't want to buy information," he replied, scratching his cheek awkwardly._

 _"...Then why'd ya come by?" Argo asked, totally confused. "Jus' ta talk?"_

 _Kirito shrugged helplessly. "I guess... you just looked lonely."_

 _Argo gaped at him, stunned silent, before she eventually shook her head and tugged her hood over her head. Before she replied, a message popped up in the corner of her vision, saving her. "Whoops, gotta run," she said with a sly grin. "But... feel free ta drop by, Kii-boy. Yer interestin'."_

 _She darted away. Behind her, just before she was out of earshot, Kirito murmured, "'Kii-boy'?"_

And then after that, he'd brought Asuna and Leafa, and then Lisbeth and Silica, and all of a sudden Argo had _friends_. People that didn't care that she was smart, or that she would sell information. They just wanted her for _her_. And now, she was remembering how achingly lonely she'd been, back in school. Kirito hated her, and then the rest would too, and she'd be alone all over again. Those thoughts ran through her head nonstop, chasing their own tails.

Argo sniffled again and rolled over, moving to a spot that wasn't wet with tears. Before she could do more than wipe at her eyes fruitlessly, someone knocked on her door. It was hesitant and slow, but Argo still looked up. "Argo?" Kirito asked, and Argo flinched. "...Can I come in?"

"...Sure," she said, hating the fact that her voice felt and sounded weak. She _really_ hated the fact that hearing his voice made sharp hope bloom in her chest.

The door creaked open and Kirito stepped inside, the light from the hallway briefly spilling in before he shut the door again. Argo sat up, pawing at her eyes in a vain attempt to pretend she hadn't been sobbing, and Kirito took a seat on the bed. There was more than just the physical distance between the two, though. Argo hugged her knees, hiding as much of her face as she could.

"...I'm sorry, Argo."

Argo barely breathed. She'd _wanted_ to hear those words, but she hadn't truly expected them. If she said something, she'd wake up from the wonderful dream she was having.

"I... was angry, and said things without thinking, but that's no excuse." Kirito shook his head. "I should never have said something so hurtful. I know you were just worried about me."

Yeah. That's all it really was, right? Argo smiled weakly into her knees. She'd been so worried about him, after he lost his hand. She just... wasn't sure how to put it into words correctly. Wasn't that funny? For all the information she knew, she didn't know how to make sure the boy she loved was safe.

Argo abruptly stiffened as that last thought crossed her mind. ...The boy she loved? Argo blushed bright red, even as she was forced to admit it to herself for the first time. She'd known she was crushing hard on Kirito, but she hadn't thought...

"Argo?" Kirito asked, leaning towards her. "If there's anything I can do to make things right, name it."

Oh, screw thinking about it, Argo decided, and she lunged. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she hugged Kirito tight, nuzzling against his chest. "Jus' stay here fer a while, Kii-boy," she said as she cuddled against him.

"...Sure thing, Argo," he said. Argo smiled as she felt his hand come up and start stroking her hair gently.

Mmm... Cuddles from Kii-boy are the best, she thought happily.

* * *

"C'mon!" Leafa urged, tugging on Kirito and Asuna's hands as if that would make them walk faster to the top of the hill. "We're gonna miss it if you don't hurry!"

Kirito smiled as he watched his little sister tug on Asuna's hand, his best friend laughing as she let herself be pulled. They'd all been forced to grow up too quickly by the death game, he thought, and it was rare for her to get to act like this. Silica, too, come to think of it, though for some reason it was a little easier to remember Silica was younger than the rest of them. Maybe he was just imagining it, and it was easier to rely on Leafa since she was his little sister.

According to the calendar of game events, there was going to be a meteor shower on the 22nd Floor. Kirito and Leafa had been excited to go watch, but when Asuna mentioned off-hand that she'd never seen a meteor shower and didn't understand why they were so interested, the siblings had decided without question that they were taking Asuna along.

It was almost time for it to start when the Kirigaya siblings and Asuna sat down at the top of the hill. Asuna breathed out in awe as they all looked up at the cloudless night sky, filled with little glimmering lights. "It's beautiful," she whispered. Kirito smiled at the sheer, unfiltered joy on her face. He was glad he could be the one to show this to her. "Wow..."

"Asuna, come on!" Leafa said, gripping the girl's hands and tugging her to her feet. "Dance with me!"

As the two girls whirled around, not doing anything more than just spinning in place, Kirito smiled as he watched them. His sister was laughing happily, and there was a huge smile on Asuna's face. They were... wonderful. He never wanted them to stop smiling.

"Ah! It's starting!" Leafa gasped, pointing up at the sky. Kirito tilted his head back to see streaks of light start crossing the sky. "Quick, quick, make a wish!"

Naturally, Kirito knew what he wanted to wish for, so he closed his eyes and wished very, very hard that it would come true.

When he opened his eyes again, it was to see Asuna and Leafa sitting on the hill on either side of him. When his little sister realized that he was looking at her, she smiled beautifully and placed her hands on top of his; on his right, Asuna did the same. Kirito grinned at both of them.

"Hey, Kazuto," Leafa said, leaning over, "what was your wish?"

Kirito looked at her. "Shouldn't it be obvious? I always want to have you at my side like this, laughing and smiling and dancing. Same with Asuna." Leafa's cheeks turned a bright red, and he felt Asuna fidget next to him. "What did you two wish for?"

Leafa hummed to herself thoughtfully, before she smiled. "Sorry, Kazuto, can't tell you. It's a secret!"

"What? Oh, come on, I told you mine. Asuna?"

Asuna blinked, and then looked away. "L-Like Sugu said, it's a secret!"

Oh, that just wasn't fair, Kirito grumbled to himself. Still, with both girls leaning over and resting their heads on his shoulders... It definitely felt like his wish was already coming true.

* * *

 **A two-for-one scene of these kids being cute as heck. I see nothing wrong with this.**

 **First off, Sugu gets married. Temporarily. It's a weird thing. She's a little better about not getting flustered when Kazuto teases her in this story, thanks to being around him and Asuna for four years, but there's still a limit. Having her wish come true, even temporarily, is past that limit, so we get to see Sugu not know what to do. Also, I just like the idea that because she's so in love with her big brother, it totally neutered the boss.**

 **And then we have the second half of the chapter, focusing on Argo and Kirito. When I'm planning out these stories, I try to have a nice grasp on the characters, as well as any changes to their base personalities that may occur; part of that includes a quick sketch of what they would fear. Naturally, Kirito's thoughtless comment slammed right on Argo's button, and… Well, you all saw what happened. At least Kirito was smart enough to come home and apologize immediately. Words hurt, all the more for coming from people we love, and if you don't reconcile fast enough relationships can be damaged permanently. It was irritating coming up with the reason for their fight (I knew what I wanted Kirito to say, I just wasn't sure what Argo would say to trigger that response) so I went with 'Kirito loses a hand because he risked his life'. Cliche, yes, but hey, it happened in canon. ...The losing his hand thing. Not Argo and Kirito having a fight and then reconciling as Argo realizes she's in love with Kirito.**

 **(Kirito was also staring at Mystery Girl's butt. Naughty Kirito… If you asked the girls in the Royal Blades, I'm sure they'd be willing to give you a show.)**

 **Finally, and for no real reason, I just wanted to show the siblings being adorable. Hooray for meteor showers on the 22nd Floor! And hooray for Ordinal Scale and Lost Song for giving me the idea. Will Leafa or Asuna's wishes ever come up again? Probably. Maybe not, though.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or left a review.**

* * *

 **Canon Scene: Empty**

Leafa and Silica sat awkwardly on the couch; Kirito had left about thirty minutes ago, and Argo had run upstairs right before that. They... weren't really sure _what_ they should do. Asuna and Lisbeth had heard the argument as well - hard not to, in this house, Silica thought to herself - and come out of the kitchen to sit down. Dinner was postponed until Kirito got back, of course.

"So... That happened," Lisbeth said awkwardly, trying to make a joke. It fell flat, though.

It felt weird without Argo around. It wasn't the first time she'd gone off on her own, or the first time that it was just the four of them around, but it was different this time. It felt like the energy had gone out of the room, maybe, or that they were missing something important in the group.

"They'll make up, right?" Silica asked quietly.

"I'm sure they will, Silica," Asuna replied with a gentle smile. Silica smiled back, choosing to let herself believe in what Asuna said.

Leafa folded her arms and grumbled under her breath. "Stupid Kazuto, saying something rude like that..."

"Hey, he's _your_ brother," Lisbeth pointed out.

"Now, now, you two," Asuna said. "There's no point in fighting. We all know Kazuto didn't mean what he said."

"Yeah," Silica said. "Argo's really nice! There's no way she wouldn't care about the other players. That's why she puts out those strategy guides for free."

The girls all knew they were talking to fill over the hole in their group, but it wasn't like any of them wanted to admit it. Silica bent her head and just stroked Pina, scratching her pet dragon in the small of her back, the way she loved it. Pina rolled over and presented her stomach for better scritches, and Silica obliged. Asuna, across from her, let out a small, quiet whine at how the dragon wouldn't let her so much as touch her.

When the front door opened, everyone jumped at the sudden noise. Kirito stepped into the living room before immediately being approached by Asuna; her eyes were hard, and she poked him in the chest with a finger. "And where have _you_ been, mister?" she snapped.

"...Out on the 42nd Floor, thinking," he sighed.

"Well, you'd _better_ have been thinking about how you're going to apologize to Argo," she said, punctuating her words with repeated pokes to his chest. "The poor girl is still holed up in her room."

Kirito nodded. "That's what I was trying to figure out. Sorry it took me so long."

Asuna puffed her cheeks out. _Staaaaaaare..._ Eventually, she smiled and stepped back. "I'll go start dinner. Hm... I think about fifteen, twenty minutes should be enough." Lisbeth stood up and stretched, briefly stepping over to hug Kirito before heading into the kitchen with Asuna.

Kirito walked towards the stares, before Silica asked, "Kirito? You're not really mad at Argo, right?"

He stopped and looked at her, before walking back over. She let out a little squeak of surprise when he placed his hand on her head, ruffling her hair. "Of course not," he said. "Sorry to worry you, Silica."

"Thank goodness," she giggled in relief. Just like Asuna and Lisbeth, she jumped up and gave Kirito a huge hug before he gently pulled away. Of course, he gave his little sister a hug as well before heading upstairs, making his way to Argo's room.

Silica smiled happily and went back to the couch. Yeah... Things felt better than before, like the energy in the room was back to normal.

 **I wanted to show this part, too, but switching PoV to Silica like that just for 100 words would be super weird. It's nice that they're all one big family.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

 **December 5th, 2023**

"Tsk," Argo sighed as she stared at the incoming messages. That Mystiltainn guy she and Kirito had looked into, for that sting operation... She knew something hadn't felt right, and she felt strangely vindicated as well as supremely irritated that her hunch had been correct. The Mystiltainn they'd met in town was just someone using the name, and he'd long since vanished. The real Mystiltainn had been found locked in a small room on the first Floor, and had been for some time according to his testimony once they'd found him. The question she really needed to answer, then, was 'Who the heck did we talk to?', and that was what she'd been looking into recently.

After her little network of Mice had... made 'polite inquiries' into the matter (of _course_ they bribed people and then interrogated the Rafflesia members in prison, _she'd_ trained them), they'd found out that none of the members of Rafflesia knew who the fake Mystiltainn had been. They'd just been approached by a cloaked player who said he could help set up a nice little racket; he hadn't even wanted any of the money they'd made. He was, apparently, helping out the yellow guild out of the... Would 'goodness of his heart' be the right phrase in this case? Argo wondered idly, kicking her legs in the air. They'd never seen the face of the hooded player, since he'd disappeared as quietly as he'd appeared. In other words, Argo grumbled, clicked her tongue again, they were back at square one.

Until they knew who they'd talked to, there was no way she was going to be able to figure out how exactly the man had known all of the high-level players. She suspected some sort of leak, but it was like trying to figure out who'd killed Mr. Boddy when she didn't even know the names of all the suspects, let alone if it had been with the revolver, the candlestick, or the knife.

Well, in other news, at least the other girls were behaving themselves, Argo thought. Leaks aside, the Knights of the Blood were growing in strength, solidifying their status as the second-ranked guild in the game. The Army was spreading throughout the lower Floors, making a name for themselves helping out the weaker players level up. The Royal Blades had a small presence - anyone could join the junior squad, run by the Moonlit Black Cats - but the Army was the undisputed power behind the Town of Beginnings. Kibaou and the leader of the Army, Thinker, were doing good work in keeping the peace. And, Argo snickered, the Divine Dragon Alliance had decided that thanks to being the Dragon Tamer, Silica was now their idol. The guild had turned over a new leaf. Her occasional meetings with Lind aside, it was good to see that they were calming down and being less... secretive, information-hoarding jerks, was probably the way Asuna would want her to phrase it.

Argo stretched, trying to work the kinks out of her shoulder and back despite knowing full well that they didn't exist in real life. It still _felt_ satisfying when her spine popped abruptly. "Nyahh..." she sighed, sinking back on the couch. Her high AGI stat may have meant that she was very flexible, but that didn't mean much in the Safe Zone when she woke up in the mornings.

Do you know what you need, Argo? she asked herself. A nice day out with the girls, so we can all go pamper ourselves without worrying about PKers or weird cloaked people with weird motives. Supposedly Lisbeth and Silica were out trying to complete a series of quests that would unlock a hot spring for their use. That'd be nice... She kicked her legs idly before hopping off of the couch in search of Asuna. Her favorite girl was standing out on the balcony of their house, looking out over the forest. "Hey, A-chan," Argo said. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

Asuna turned and smiled as Argo joined her, the info broker leaning with her back against the railing. It was a little chilly out, but then, that's why she'd started wearing long sleeves and pants. Asuna, Argo noted, had made a concession to the weather and was wearing a cute yellow sweater with sleeves that went over her wrists and a brown skirt that fell to her knees. "Oh, Argo," she said, smiling at her. The info broker grinned back. "I was just thinking... I like this house, and it's wonderful living with everyone, but we never intended to stay here as long as we have."

Argo shrugged. "Well, 's comfy, I guess? Haven't really thought about it. Why, feelin' like movin'?"

The long-haired girl laughed helplessly, brushing her hair out of her face as the wind tousled it. Argo felt the wind play through her own hair, but it wasn't long enough to really get in her way. Still, Asuna really looked beautiful with long hair, Argo couldn't help but think. "Maybe a little," she said. "Floor 8 is wonderful, but... It's starting to feel a little far from the front lines. Not that I want a house up on Floor 50 or anything, but... maybe in the 20s or 30s would be nice."

"Ah, don't worry 'bout a thing, A-chan," Argo said, patting her shoulder. "I'll look around, see if there's anythin' good we missed." Inwardly, she winced a little bit, not letting it show on her face. It was going to be expensive, and take some time...

"Thank you, Argo. I'm glad I asked you, I know you'll find something." Asuna smiled at her, and suddenly everything was worth it. That girl is really just too good at getting people to do what she wants, Argo thought idly. Could she really blame it on the all-girls school, or was it just her natural talent at leading...? A gust of wind, colder this time, blew by them, and both girls shivered. "...Let's go inside, and I'll fix us some tea," she said.

"Sounds good, A-chan." Argo grinned at the thought of Kirito walking in to see her enjoying tea with Asuna without him. He always got the funniest expression on his face. Though maybe it was because she kept smirking at him smugly? Or maybe it was because the few times she'd shared a sleeping bag with Asuna out in the dungeon, she'd always made sure to rub it in his face by grinning once Asuna had fallen asleep, wrapping her arms around Argo's waist, and giving him two V for Victory signs. She could always get him to stomp his foot in agitation.

Heh. Messing with their Kirito was fun, Argo snickered.

She took a seat on the plush couch, crossing her legs - it was okay, she was wearing pants unlike Asuna - and waited for Asuna to bring the tea out. It didn't take too long for the chef of the Royal Blades to deliver on her promise, placing a teapot with a fragrant smell on the table in front of them before pouring a cup of tea for each of them. Personally, Argo preferred the iced tea that Asuna made during the last summer, but it was too cold to have that these days. She accepted the warm cup and cradled it in her hands, sighing happily after taking a little sip.

The two girls sipped at their tea and chatted idly, not really worrying about much. This morning was an easy morning, if they wanted to take it; the 50th Boss fight was scheduled for that afternoon, and they definitely wanted to be ready. Silica and Lisbeth had gone off to finish that one quest they'd never found the time to get back to; Leafa was out practicing her kendo, while Kirito was napping in his room. This little routine of having tea and gossiping was Argo and Asuna's way of centering themselves. Eventually Leafa came in and joined them, shivering a little from practicing out in the cold, and sat down next to Asuna after getting her own cup.

"Uwah..." Leafa sighed after taking a sip. "My shoulders are stiff..."

Asuna reached over and gently started rubbing the short-haired girl's back. "There, there," she said. "Maybe you shouldn't be practicing out in the cold?"

"I have to keep it up," Leafa told her before leaning against Asuna. "You're warm, Asuna. Hug," she declared, throwing her arms around the long-haired girl and burying her face in her side.

Asuna giggled and let Leafa cuddle against her. Argo grinned into her teacup; those two were so close they practically _were_ sisters, she thought to herself. It was kinda cute. She didn't have anyone like that...

"Ah! Cold!" Argo looked over to see Lisbeth and Silica entering the room. Pina had wrapped around Silica's neck like a furry scarf, puffing up her feathers to shield against the December temperatures, but Lisbeth had to make do with a coat and mittens. As a result, she was still cold.

"We're home," Silica said, gladly taking off her winter outfit before taking a seat next to Asuna.

"Welcome back," Asuna replied, her eyes never leaving Pina. She slowly reached out a hand, fingers twitching; for a second, it seemed like she might be able to finally pet Pina, until the Feathered Little Dragon opened her eyes and yawned, showing off her sharp teeth. With a cute chirp, the familiar hopped off Silica's shoulders and curled up on the pillow on the other side of Silica, away from where Asuna could pet her. "...I just want to touch you," Asuna mumbled quietly.

Lisbeth sank down on the seat next to Argo and gratefully accepted the cup of steaming tea. "That's better," she sighed after sipping at it. "But I'm still cold..."

She flopped over and her head landed in Argo's lap. "Ack! Liz, hey!" Argo protested. "Watch out, ya nearly made me spill the tea!"

"Don't care, you're warm."

Argo's lips twisted in resigned amusement. "Alright, alright," she sighed. Seriously, the girl was taller than she was, why was _she_ acting as the pillow here? Still, she started playing with the ends of Lisbeth's pink hair idly. It was cute with the color, she thought.

Once everyone had warmed up and was sitting properly again, Lisbeth leaned forward conspiratorially. "So, guess what," the blacksmith said, eyes sparkling.

"What, Liz?" Leafa asked. She was clearly playing along, but leaning forward in interest nonetheless. Argo herself found her info broker's nose twitching, curious about any new information the girls might have stumbled on while clearing the quests. It was from a few Floors down, so probably nothing life-changing, but it was still info she could sell~.

Lisbeth grinned. "Well, you know how Silica and I went out to finish that bathhouse quest chain, right? The final quest had us head out to some mountains to collect rock salt where we fought a Tengu. Silica was really helpful, keeping the boss's attention so I could hit it from behind."

"Eheheh..." Silica giggled, blushing from the praise and rubbing the back of her head.

"Anyway, we grabbed the rock salt and headed back to deliver it to the NPC, and she told us about a hot spring out in the wilderness!" At Lisbeth's excited news, Argo could practically see Asuna's eyes sparkle and shine. "Silica and I went to take a look, and it was right where she said it would be. And the best part is, apparently if we soak in it for an hour, we'll get temporary boosts to our stats!"

"What kind?" Leafa asked, eyes also sparkling. Argo was pretty sure it was because of the thought of getting stat buffs; she really was her brother's sister.

Silica sighed. "We're not sure," she said. "Liz said we should all go together."

Lisbeth grinned. "Hey, a hot spring is best shared with other people! It'd be weird if it were just the two of us. Besides, all of us girls enjoy a long soak now and then, right?"

"Right, right!" Asuna nodded quickly, betraying her eagerness. Argo's lips twitched up in a grin as the long-haired girl clenched her fists in front of her, visibly pumping herself up for the trip. "So we're going to the hot springs, right?"

"Yeah!" the girls chorused. Argo joined in the cheer too, grinning excitedly. A hot spring trip meant skinship! And her cute guildmates in nothing but towels! Heck yeah!

Lisbeth hesitated, and lowered her fist from where she'd raised it in the air. "Uh... There's just one problem. The hot spring... It's kinda not in a Safe Zone."

Asuna's face fell. "Whaaaat?!" she exclaimed, pouting.

"Eheheh..." Silica laughed sheepishly. "Yeah. One of us would need to stand guard while the others bathe, since we'd be without our weapons or armor."

"Argo, don't you have the Marital Arts - bleh," Leafa said, sticking out her tongue at the fumble. "I mean, Argo, don't you have the Martial Arts Skill?"

Argo shrugged, doing her best to not think about the Freudian slip and what it would mean for her and Kirito - nope, not thinking about it, she told herself. "Eh?" she said, wiggling a hand back and forth. "I've got it, but my build's not designed fer soloin' mobs. Plus the Martial Arts Skills aren't all that high damage, so if somethin' attack the best I could do would be hold it off for a few secs while ya grab all yer gear."

"And something tells me _that's_ not relaxing," Lisbeth sighed.

The other girls sighed as well. They needed a guard, but it couldn't be one of them... "Oh!" Leafa said, at the same time Asuna brightened up and said, "I know who to ask!" If there was any indication the two of them were on the same wavelength, that was it, Argo thought with a grin.

"Huh? What are you all doing here?" Kirito asked as he entered the living room, covering his mouth as he yawned. Pina chirped and flew over to land on his shoulder, nuzzling against his cheek. "Hi, Pina."

Argo was pretty sure that Lisbeth and Asuna's eyes gleamed with little yellow glimmers of bright starlight before they ran up to their guild leader and the sole male of the household. "Ka-zu-to," Asuna said sweetly. "Are you busy?"

"Uh, no?"

"Great!" In a instant, Lisbeth moved like a blur, wrapping herself around Kirito's right arm. He blinked in surprise as she grinned. "Then would you mind doing us all a teeny favor?"

...

Kirito yawned again as he stood guard outside the entrance to the bathhouse. From what he could see, it was a traditional open-air hot spring, with a high wooden fence around it. The walls seemed to be Immortal Objects, fortunately, so the only place he really needed to keep watch over was the entrance at his back; what that meant, basically, was that all he had to do was stand in place and make sure no mobs attacked. Little curls of steam would waft overhead every now and then, thanks to the place not having a roof. Kirito glanced upwards, and then sighed. Sure, standing guard was easy, but it came with its own problems...

"Ahhh~..."

A whistle. "Yeah A-chan, you work that towel!"

"I-It's just a towel, Argo! We're all wearing one!"

"What the heck do you _eat_ , Leafa?!"

"A-ah! Liz, d-don't touch there! It's sensiti~ive!"

"Kyui!"

"Pina, don't struggle, I need to make sure you're clean!"

"Argo, get over here and feel this, it's nuts!"

"Ooh, perfect height!"

A squealed moan. Or maybe a moaned squeal? "A-A-A-Argo! Asuna, help me!"

"I'm fine soaking, Sugu."

"Oh~?" A splash. "'S been a while since back on th' first Floor. Lemme see if ya changed at all!"

"He-hey, Argo, stop!"

"Pina, when will _I_ grow?"

"Kyuru..."

"That's it, I'm making everyone swimsuits!"

"Aw, c'mon, A-chan! I'm already barin' what little assets I got, how can ya be ashamed when ya got so much better?!"

As the sounds of the girls having all kinds of fun floated out with the steam, Kirito shook his head and smacked his cheeks. Focus, he told himself. If anything, he was glad it was colder than usual out; it kept him from getting too distracted by their voices. Plus, it meant he couldn't drift off into his imagination of picturing what was making them all sound like that...

At least they settled down after a while, talking in voices just loud enough that he could hear the tone but not the actual words. Kirito yawned, leaning against the doorway. There was a thin layer of snow out, and it was nice to be able to hide under the overhang of the bathhouse where the snow couldn't reach. Closing his eyes, he settled down and waited as patiently as he could.

A crunch made his eyes snap open and his hand reach up for his sword, but he stopped himself once he realized what had made the sound. It had been a few weeks, but he recognized the equipment of the player standing in front of him, wide-eyed; the forest-colored camo leather armor had been swapped out for a more wintery mix, but the bright blue scarf was enough of a key that he knew he was looking at the girl he'd run into back in November.

"Ah... you," she said numbly, staring at him. They were close enough that he was able to see her black eyes, a pair of glasses perched on her nose.

Kirito smiled. "Oh, hey there, Miss Archer," he said kindly. "Fancy seeing you here. I thought we were the only ones to know about this."

"I... I'm the only one who knew... Um, 'we'?" she asked, clearly off-balance. As if in response, the girls' conversation got a little louder, and the archer's eyes darted back and forth wildly.

For some reason, Kirito imagined she was like a wild cat, about to spook, so he said, "It's just my party in there right now. They're all girls, so I don't think they'll mind. You wanted to use the hot spring, right?"

Numbly, the girl nodded without a word. Kirito nodded and knocked on the door, cracking it open just a bit. "Kazuto? Is that you?" Asuna's voice called out after a second.

"Yeah," he called back. "There's another girl out here, wanting to use the hot spring. Is there room for one more?"

"Of course. Tell her to come on in, I can make a swimsuit for her if she'd like!"

Kirito nodded and smiled before turning back to the archer. "There you go, Miss Archer. Don't worry, I'm keeping guard out here, so go ahead and relax." He wasn't sure exactly why he was being so kind to her; if anything, it was that weird sense of familiarity that he'd felt the first time he met her. "...Do I know you?"

The girl shook her head silently, but took a few hesitant steps into the bathhouse. The door closed behind her, and it didn't take long for the girls' conversation to start up again, this time asking questions of the new girl. Kirito didn't listen to her answers; listening to his girls' conversations was one thing, but this was eavesdropping on a stranger. That was just plain rude, and Asuna had made her position on rudeness pretty clear in the four years he'd known her.

The door opened again surprisingly quickly, and the hooded girl scurried out again. "Miss Archer," he called out, and she flinched before turning to look at him. "Did you enjoy it? The hot spring, I mean. You were out pretty quickly, that's all."

"...I'm used to being quick," she said.

"Oh, that'd make sense," he said. "If you're a solo player, then there's nobody to keep watch, I guess. But you could have taken your time, you didn't have to hurry."

The black-haired girl ducked her head. "...It was nice," she said. "And your friends are nice. It was..."

"...Nice?" he guessed, grinning playfully.

The girl shook her head. "Warm," she said finally before tugging her scarf up to cover her face. "It was warm."

He blinked as she walked away, quickly fading into the woods. Well, of course it was warm, he thought in confusion. It was a hot spring, after all. Still, it looked like she was smiling a little bit at the end, there.

Finally, after what seemed like a torturous eternity that he did his best to fill by organizing his inventory, their squeals and splashes faded away. Kirito glanced over at the doorway and prepared for the girls to come out, but when none of them walked through the door he frowned. "Everything okay in there?" he asked, knocking on the door lightly.

"Actually, Kii-boy, could ya come in?" Argo asked. "We need ta ask ya somethin'."

Immediately, Kirito opened the door and stepped through. "Is something wrong? Are you all okay? Do you need..." He trailed off, slowly going red as he took in the wondrous sight in front of him.

Each girl was standing in the 'changing room', so to speak. They must have really enjoyed the hot spring; their skin was glistening and smooth. What was making Kirito pause, though, was the swimsuits each girl was wearing. From left to right, Lisbeth was wearing a white bikini top with brown stripes as well as a fur-lined bottom piece that seemed more like a pair of short shorts than a swimsuit. Her face was bright red, making her freckles stand out. Silica, standing next to her and hugging Pina to her chest, was wearing a more innocent swimsuit, almost entirely white frills except for the pink straps lining the edges; she was watching Kirito eagerly, waiting for him to comment on how she looked. Her hair was out of her usual twintails, falling straight down her back, and a few water droplets beaded on the locks to give it a distracting glimmer in the light.

Asuna stood in the center of the group, blushing a little bit but smiling in her white bikini top with red lining, a ribbon meeting in the center. Unlike the others, the bottom half of her swimsuit was like a white skirt with a large red ribbon drawing Kirito's eyes to the expanse of thigh revealed. Argo was leaning against Asuna's side, grinning smugly at Kirito as he gaped at her. Her swimsuit was almost like regular clothes - a yellow tankini with brown shorts, a small frill lining the hips. Finally, watching Kirito expectantly with a smile, his little sister was wearing a simple, plain green bikini that somehow _really_ flattered her in every way that mattered, to the point that Kirito could barely keep his eyes away. It was like she had her own gravitational pull!

In other words, he'd just been ambushed. "Well?" Argo asked, barely-concealed hilarity in her voice as she teased him. "What do ya think, Kii-boy? How do our fancy swimsuits look? A-chan made 'em for us, th' least ya can do is give us yer thoughts."

Oh man, Kirito thought as he swallowed. The girls all leaned forward, clearly waiting for him to start. "Uh... You all look great? The swimsuits look really cute," he said. "...But you really should wear something more concealing, Leafa."

"What?!" Leafa yelped, while the other girls started giggling. "Hey, Kazuto, you jerk! Why single _me_ out!"

"Because you're my sister," he said with implacable logic.

Asuna giggled before she rested a hand on Leafa's shoulder. "He just doesn't want anybody else to stare, that's all, Sugu," she said. Kirito coughed and looked away, scratching his cheek sheepishly. There definitely didn't exist a boy good enough for his beloved little sister. Leafa hummed in thought, like she didn't really believe what Asuna was saying, before folding her arms across her chest. "Anyway, we'll leave the bath to you, Kazuto," Asuna told him. "Enjoy!"

The long-haired girl took Leafa by the arm and started dragging her off, but before she left Kirito watched his sister turn around and pull down on her lower eyelid, sticking out her tongue with a cute 'bleh' sound.

"I'll make sure Argo doesn't try to peek," Lisbeth said.

Immediately Argo whirled on the pink-haired girl. "Wha- Liz! No fair! I was gonna take pics an' share with th' class..."

Kirito smiled at Lisbeth. "Thanks, Liz. I'll leave our troublemaker in your capable hands."

"Hey! Kii-boy!"

After the girls got changed - Kirito politely turned his back, though he could feel his ears burning - Argo was more or less dragged out by Lisbeth and Silica, though the lithe info broker didn't seem to be trying too hard to stay in the changing room. Asuna and Leafa waved as they headed out to guard the door against mobs and Argo alike, and Kirito was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. They were out there, he was in here...

Of course, while he was soaking in the bath, he could still _hear_ the girls. "Kazuto," Leafa called out innocently, "do you want me to come wash your back?"

"Sugu, we talked about this," Asuna sighed.

"What?" she asked innocently. "We're siblings, we take baths together all the time!" Kirito lowered his head in the water until he was mostly submerged, bubbles emerging from his mouth.

"Wow..." Silica breathed.

Meanwhile, he could hear a scuffle. "Argo, you can't go in there!"

"But I wanna!"

Honestly... these girls were such a handful, Kirito sighed before leaning back against the rock at his back, staring at the blue sky. Still, they made things fun. He loved having them around, honestly. Being alone... He couldn't imagine playing this game without Asuna or Leafa, or any of the members of his guild. They were just all special to -

 _Ding!_

"Oh, I got a buff," he said out loud, glancing at his HP bar. He'd noticed it appearing by the girls' HP bars, but hadn't been able to examine it himself. Now, he could; he opened his menu and tapped on the buff icon, which was just a set of sparkles. "Your skin is so smooth, it looks like you're sparkling if the light shines just right. +5 to Charm and Aura!" he read out loud.

Kirito tilted his head. ...What even were those stats? Either way, it looked like it was just fluff text, since the actual stat buffs were right beneath it. Even though it was just a one-point boost to each stat, it was good enough for a free hour-long buff locked behind what Lisbeth and Silica said was a pretty easy quest chain. This might be the last time they got to relax like this, with the hot spring all to themselves.

Then again, the stat boost wasn't that big. Come to think of it, Argo _did_ owe him that favor, and keeping this little secret just for the Royal Blades wasn't a bad way to use it...

* * *

"Is it just me," Klein said to Kirito in a voice that probably wasn't supposed to be audible, "or are your girls sparkling more than usual?" Silica giggled as Kirito stomped on Klein's foot with a bored expression on his face. The other members of the Royal Blades smiled awkwardly as the samurai grimaced.

"I'm sure you're imagining it," Kirito told him.

They were all gathered in front of the 50th Floor's Boss door. Silica looked up at the imposing door and swallowed a little nervously. Pina chirped soothingly and licked her cheek, and Silica nuzzled against her head briefly before her attention was captured by the door again. It had a relief of a large humanoid figure with six arms, each holding a different weapon. They were all weapons different players could use, and Silica worried about what they were going to fight. Like the 25th Floor, the enemies and dungeons had been fierce, and there was a single, obvious image on the door...

"Don't worry," Asuna said, gently patting Silica's head. "We'll all go in there and be fine, right?"

Silica smiled up at her. Asuna really was amazing! She didn't look concerned at all, even though they were about to fight a really hard boss. She put on a brave face and clenched her fists in front of her - though for some reason, she thought she heard Lisbeth mutter, 'So cute...' nearby. "Yeah, we will," she said. "It's time to start, right?"

"You're right," Asuna said, and drew her hand back from Silica's head. After that, she walked over and snagged Kirito's arm, dragging him along with her as she made her way to the boss door, ignoring his protests. Silica giggled as she stopped and gave Kirito a critical glance, fussing over him before brushing a lock of his hair back behind his ear and straightening his black coat. He was just there as the guild master - Asuna would be the one speaking, but it was important for them to show strength, so of course Kirito would be up there, Silica thought. Asuna nodded once and turned to the whole raid group before raising her voice. "Okay everyone, let's get this meeting under way!"

Silica stood up just a little bit straighter as Asuna started speaking. Her new armor was light and streamlined, but she could still feel the weight pulling at her from time to time. Her shield on her arm felt light as well, but she knew it was as sturdy as Lisbeth could make it, pretty much only a step away from being an Immortal Object. She definitely liked the little ornate designs on the edge of the shield face, though. They were neat. Plus, her armor covered her whole body now, but it was still slim enough to be cute!

"This is the halfway mark of the game. Once we've defeated this boss, we'll have sent a powerful message to Akihiko Kayaba - your game isn't unbeatable! We've already cleared half of it!" Asuna smiled and extended her hands in front of her. "I know this is a milestone boss, and it'll be dangerous, but we're expecting it this time. Thanks to the hard work of our Argo the Rat, and all info brokers in the game, we've managed to collect as much information as possible on the boss. With it, I'm certain we will win!"

Silica was pretty sure she was the only person to hear Argo snort and mutter, "Yeah, after we got rid 'a all that false info someone was spreadin'... Ah well, at least A-chan's praisin' me~."

If she heard, Asuna didn't react. "The purpose of speaking here is to make sure we're all on the same page when it comes to our tactics and how we're going to divide things up. Before, we've usually made sure the parties were split evenly, with tanks and DPS split among the raid parties. Because this boss will only ever attack one group at a time, all of the tanks will be put together in two parties; Heathcliff of the Knights of the Blood will lead the first, and Silica from our Royal Blades will lead the second. You should have already been assigned, but if you haven't and think you should come see me after the brief is finished.

"If you're a DPS, you'll be working under me or one of the other Royal Blades, and if you're going to be a member of the support group, listen to your individual party leader. Party leaders, you're in a group chat with every other party leader, so don't hesitate to request help if you need it for whatever reason. Once again, the parties should have been assigned before we left town, but if you joined late or were missed, please let us know.

"The boss is a three-headed, six-armed Buddha statue, carrying a different weapon in each hand," Asuna read out from the strategy guide Argo had passed out to all the clearers. "In its initial phase, it moves incredibly slowly, but has high defense. DPS, focus on attacking and don't worry about its attacks, the tanks will have plenty of time to get in the way. We can't be sure, but every other boss has had changes as its health bars empty, so be prepared for things to change. And, as always, if more than half of the raid parties have to recover, then we'll retreat.

"Okay," Asuna said with a smile, clapping her hands. "We'll be opening the door in five minutes, so everyone, please get ready."

Once the groups split up, Kirito approached Silica, a serious look on his face. "Hi, Kirito," Silica said brightly. "Is something wrong?"

"Silica," he said, "I know that we're asking a lot of you, tanking against a milestone boss. I just wanted to let you know, you don't have to do this." He scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I'm not trying to say you can't do it, all of us know you're more than good enough. It's just... You're important to us, you know? Everyone in the guild."

Silica took a few deep breaths. She was in charge of one of the parties of tanks, so that meant she had a lot of responsibility. But she was okay! She wasn't going to let Kirito down. They were counting on her, so she wasn't going to fail. "It's okay, Kirito," she said, smiling up at him. Pina flared her wings on her shoulder. "I want to do this!"

Kirito watched, and then smiled before resting a hand on her head, patting her gently. Silica giggled. "Alright then," he said, before drawing his hand away and turning to join Asuna. "I know you won't let us down, Silica," he said with a wave.

Silica blinked before running up to him and throwing her arms around his back. Kirito tumbled for a second before getting his feet under him and turning around to return the hug. "Hey, no fair, I want a hug too," Leafa grumbled. Lisbeth, standing next to her with folded arms, nodded emphatically with a 'mm-hmm!' hum.

After everyone finished getting ready - and Kirito gave out hugs to all of the Royal Blades girls - Asuna stood in front of the door again. "Alright, is everyone ready? Then let's do this!" She turned around briskly, and pushed at the massive stone doors. They creaked open, ominous mists swirling at the players' feet as the air currents were disturbed.

They were greeted by a huge statue with a bald face carved into the thick rock acting as its head. Like Asuna had said, it had six arms waving in the air, each holding a weapon; it matched the carving on the boss door in every fashion, in other words. There was an ominous aura in the air even as the statue just stood there, motionless while the torches around the edge of the room lit up from right to left.

"Let's win this!" Asuna shouted, drawing her rapier. "And come back alive!"

"Yeah!" the raid party shouted back.

...

The fight, so far, was going really well; they were already cracking through the fourth of the boss's five health bars, and Silica was doing her best!

At first, it had been slow, chipping away at Gautama The Enlightened's health through its thick stone skin. The statue had little to no speed, so the attackers could fight constantly while the tanks intercepted the rare attacks. They had all the time in the world, but the boss's defenses were super high, so the attacks didn't do much damage. Eventually, though, the first health bar emptied out, and things changed.

The stone had cracked, little by little until the cracks spread across the entire body. With a loud shattering sound, the boss had broken free from the cracked stone, revealing a smaller version of itself hidden inside. There were a few notable differences; instead of just one face, Gautama had two faces on its head, which was the first thing Silica noticed. After that, she realized that the boss itself was smaller, and was moving more quickly. And, when the attackers finished recovering their HP and moved in again, she realized that it was taking more damage.

The faster movement was pretty tough to adjust to, at first. A few tanks from Silica's group got hurt a little bit and had to retreat to heal, meaning the rest had to work harder to block the attacks of its weapons, but they were able to figure out the patterns fast enough thanks to some advice from one of the DDA tanks... Schmitt, Silica glanced at his name. Eventually, they fell into a good rotation pattern of half the group keeping the boss's attention while the other half healed up.

It was a little harder thanks to how much damage the DPS did, now that the outermost layer of stone had broken. Silica had to spam a few of her Hate Skills to keep its attention once when Fuurinkazan hit it with a huge amount of Sword Skills all at once, wiping out a good twenty percent of its third HP bar in a single blow. Other than that, they didn't have a huge amount of trouble, in the end.

That was to say, they didn't have a huge amount of trouble _until_ the end, when they cleared the fourth HP bar. The cracks that had been spreading over the boss's body during the second phase had already clued everyone in to a third form, and when the boss stopped moving they all stepped back. "Get ready!" Asuna shouted, still looking incredible despite her shoulders heaving from exhaustion. Silica wasn't sure how she did it... "It'll probably get faster again, but take more damage!"

Silica held up a healing crystal and crushed it in her hands, letting it heal her back to full. She just didn't have time, since Heathcliff's party had requested a brief break to heal.

As Gautama The Enlightened's outer shell cracked again, she raised her shield and prepared to activate her Hate Skills. The aggro would reset after the phase switch, and Silica didn't want to risk one of the more fragile DPS like Asuna or Argo getting caught by accident. That sort of accident... She would definitely prevent it!

"Here it comes," Leafa shouted as the cracks spread over the boss's entire body and then shattered. "It's... huh?"

Silica couldn't blame her for being confused. The last time, the boss had just gotten a little smaller and added a face. This time, there were three heads - and the boss had turned a bright red. The faces were all scowling angrily, nothing like the peaceful neutrality of the first two phases. "...An Asura," Heathcliff breathed. "The spirits that fight against the gods..."

Argo immediately blanched. "Aren't they usually real angry?" she asked the older man. "Y'know, like warrior spirits or somethin'?"

"Yes," he said.

"Aw crap." That was all the chance she had to complain before Gautama The Enlightened howled and launched itself forward. "Berserk mode!" Argo screamed as it drove its spear forward, nearly skewering a player in red and white. "Jus' kill it kill it kill it!"

Silica jumped forward, intercepting the boss's next attack as it tried to follow through with a heavy axe swing. It crashed against her shield and the power nearly knocked her off her feet. It was so much more powerful than the second phase! It knocked her shield out of alignment, and Silica slid back from the strength. She flailed a little bit to keep her balance, but fortunately didn't fall over. "Rrrr," she growled, before sparkles enveloped her and the small chunk of HP she'd lost recovered. "Aw, thanks Pina," she smiled.

The tanks tried their hardest, but it was just too fast and too powerful. The red-faced boss was taking a lot of damage - each of the DPS group's Sword Skills carved about five to ten percent off of its last HP bar - but because it moved so fast, the post-Sword Skill delay could be fatal. Only the most foolhardy and the most brave players chanced it. Silica's heart leapt into her throat every time she saw Kirito's black cloak flapping next to the boss's feet, his two swords carving through its red stone skin.

Despite everyone's best efforts, the tide was gradually turning against them. Silica noticed it as she was forced to step back and heal after messing up the block timing against the boss's curved sword. There were only two tanks keeping it busy, despite having a full group of fourteen tanks in the raid. They weren't going to last! Like she'd worried, Gautama turned away from the two tanks trying to keep its attention and struck at Klein with its dagger! Silica gasped in shock, but he managed to scramble out of the way just in time, yelping as the dagger stabbed into the ground beside him.

"Klein!" Kirito shouted, grabbing his friend by the arm and pulling him out of the way of the boss's follow-up attack. "You okay?"

"Yeah, man, thanks!" Klein said, wiping sweat from his brow. "That was a close one."

Silica gritted her teeth. If things kept going this way, they were going to retreat, and that would waste all those crystals and potions they'd used! And also that really nice buff from the hot spring! With a fierce cry, she ran forward, shield at the ready. She even sheathed her sword to brace for the blows.

"Silica!" Lisbeth shouted. "What are you doing?!"

"I don't want to give up!" she cried. "Not when we're so close!" The boss was on its last HP bar. They were so close to winning she could almost taste it. With a determined look, she planted her feet and activated her Hate Skills, forcing the boss's attention away from Kirito and onto her. She ignored more of Lisbeth and Leafa's shouts, staring up at the huge angry monster. Yeah, she could do this!

Gautama The Enlightened howled something deep and grinding from the rock throat and started attacking. Silica did her absolute best to block as much as she could, shifting her shield to block every attack. No matter how much she tried, though, her health was still slowly draining with every blow. Thanks to Lisbeth's hard work, her shield was the toughest on the front lines, and her armor was equally good - but it wasn't enough. Silica didn't let her slowly lowering health distract her, though. She could see the occasional flash of a Sword Skill behind the boss, and knew that her friends weren't letting her fight like this.

She could do this. She was going to do this! She was -

Her shield shifted, and her eyes widened as she stumbled. Her weight had been off-balance, or maybe the game had finally triggered and activated the Weakened debuff because she was putting so much pressure on her legs to stay in place despite the boss hammering on her shield. Whatever the reason, she tilted and started to fall, just as the longsword in its bottom-right hand glowed green and swept up towards her face. It was like time slowed, and she watched as the sword left a trail of light as it passed -

Before a man in red was there, putting himself between the sword and Silica. All of a sudden everything sped up in a rush. The sword crashed against Heathcliff's tower shield, the impact making his cloak flutter behind him. Silica hit the ground and rolled, tumbling across the stone floor. She pushed herself up, armor clanking, as all of the Royal Blades ran over to her. "Silica, are you okay?" Asuna asked, immediately kneeling down and fussing over her. "You're not too hurt, are you? Here, drink this potion, it should bring you back up to safe health."

"I'm fine," she said, even as she suffered through Asuna's big sister-esque worry. "K-Kirito, how long was I blocking?"

He rested his hand on her head, rubbing it gently. "You held off the boss for at least six minutes, Silica," he told her. "Thank you. We were able to make a lot of progress, thanks to you."

"But... I don't know if we can win," she said quietly.

Kirito shook his head. "Just... if only we had five minutes, we could get everyone healed up and ready to attack the boss. With a huge rush, we might be able to win." Silica looked at the HP bars and realized he was right. Because its defense was so low, the little time she'd been able to buy had been enough for the fighters to bring it to red health.

" _Only_ five," Lisbeth snorted. "And there's no way we're letting Silica back out there." Silica tried to protest and say she could still fight, but Lisbeth's flat stare put a stop to the words.

"All the other tanks are still recoverin'," Argo said, "an' our cute lil' Silica was the best of 'em. Who's gonna tank?"

"...I have an idea," Kirito said slowly, before he stood up. "Heathcliff," he called out. "Five minutes! That's how long we need for everyone to get back to full health. Can you hold out that long?"

Heathcliff glanced back at Kirito over his shoulder. His face was solemn, and even despite how powerful the attack had been he seemed calm and composed. "I will do my best," he said before a small, wry smile tugged at his lips. Without explaining what was so funny, he turned back and brought his shield forward to meet the boss's falling mace.

It was pretty incredible, Silica realized as she let her health recover. He was barely moving his shield at all, but Heathcliff barely rocked back and forth whenever one of the massive, oversized weapons crashed against the red tower shield. His health was creeping down slowly, too, but the rest of the raids' health was recovering faster. "Everyone, listen up!" Kirito shouted, his voice projecting even across the clash of metal against metal. "One last assault! If this doesn't work, we'll retreat for the day. Heathcliff is keeping the boss busy, so once everyone's healed up we're going to strike at the same time!"

Silica tried to stand up, but Leafa pushed at her chest. "Nope, sorry, Silica," she said without remorse. "You're staying right here."

"But -"

"You've done more than enough," Leafa said with a smile. "So take a well-earned rest, okay?"

"Kyui!" A weight landed on her head, settling down.

Leafa giggled. "See, Pina agrees with me." Silica tilted her head back and peered into the expressive eyes of her pet, feeling almost a little relieved that they were all ganging up on her. "Okay, we'll be back soon, Silica!"

Silica sighed, but smiled as Leafa gave her an excited wave before running off to join the party she was leading. "We did good today, Pina," she said to the Feathered Little Dragon. Pina scrambled off of her head and landed on her lap, curling up like a warm pillow. "That can't be comfortable, silly," she giggled. Pina was sleeping on her armor without a care in the world!

A shout rose up, and she looked up to see that all of the players were ringing the boss, far enough away to not trigger any AOE attacks even by accident. Heathcliff still stood in front of the boss, blocking all of the attacks, and Silica let out a gasp of shock. His health was still green, hanging on just above half. That was amazing... Silica almost felt upset for a second, before Pina craned her head up and licked her cheek.

Asuna raised her rapier high in the air, signaling the others, and then brought it down before dashing forward. With a loud cheer, every member of the raid party charged, their weapons glowing. Naturally, their Lightning Flash, the Princess of the Royal Blades, crashed against Gautama first, her rapier digging into the side of the boss. After that, Silica couldn't see much over the colorful flashes of the Sword Skills assaulting the boss. Even as it kept trying to wail away on Heathcliff, never breaking his guard, its health was plummeting.

Finally, there was only one Sword Skill left - one of Kirito's powerful Dual Blades Skills, chewing through the boss's HP as his blades flashed and spun. Silica let out a victorious cheer when the last pixel of red health disappeared from the boss's HP bar. The massive, red statue froze in place, dropping its six massive weapons. They crashed to the ground, embedding themselves in the stone, and the whole raid stepped back as Gautama The Enlightened started to crack. It fell apart in huge chunks, but before any of them could hit the ground the entire boss shattered into the blue polygons that made up even the easiest mob.

They floated away, and as the normal Congratulations banner appeared with a fanfare, the whole raid let out a massive cheer that filled the entire chamber. They'd done it! They'd beaten the boss of Floor 50 in a single try, with no casualties!

...

Silica was in trouble. "K-K-K-Kirito I c-can w-w-walk on my own!"

"Don't squirm, Silica," Kirito scolded her. "You might fall, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Eheheheh..." Silica shook her head and smacked her cheeks. This was no time to giggle! Even if the words _had_ made her heart fill with joy that he was worried about her! "I-I'm fine! Pina already healed me!"

She was in trouble because, when she'd tried to stand up from where she was sitting, her knees had buckled and she'd toppled right into Kirito's arms. Even as the boy had supported her and helped her to her feet properly, the rest of the Royal Blades had insisted that there was no way they were going to let Silica _walk_ back home, when she couldn't even stand. So, as a result, Kirito had simply knelt down and let Silica climb on his back.

Silica couldn't deny loving every second of the piggyback ride home, but at the same time... She blushed and buried her face in his strong back. Ahhh, this was so embarrassing! Her face felt hot with every smirk Lisbeth and Argo sent her way. It didn't help that Asuna kept mumbling about how adorable it was, or the way Leafa kept muttering about how her big brother never gave _her_ piggyback rides anymore. This kept up until they were standing in front of their home, and the poor Dragon Tamer blushed like the schoolgirl she was the whole way.

Everyone stumbled into their house with a variety of sighs of relief and groans of exhaustion. It had been a long boss fight and a longer day, and Silica was totally wiped. Asuna took Lisbeth into the kitchen to help with dinner, ignoring the pink-haired girl's usual complaints that she didn't even have the Cooking Skill, while the others more or less collapsed into the living room. Kirito walked over to the couch and crouched to let Silica down. She scrambled off of his back and hopped onto the sofa, and she let out a little whine as she relaxed, going limp into the cushions.

Leafa and Argo both curled up on the other couch, while Kirito looked around a little blankly. "Hey, Silica?" he said.

Silica perked up and scrambled around to a sitting position. "What is it, Kirito?" she asked. No, she wasn't eager at all, and Leafa and Argo's grins were for no reason at all!

He smiled at her. "I just wanted to say, good work out there today." He rested a hand on her head, and Silica felt her cheeks get hot. Somehow, his praise... It was really making her feel so embarrassed! "We couldn't have done it without you."

"Eheheh..." Silica giggled as he patted her head, her twintails bouncing.

"But... I know I'm not really the one who should be saying this, but you don't have to do things on your own like that. Putting yourself in danger, just to try to beat the boss..." Kirito shook his head. "You don't have to handle things on your own. All you have to do is be yourself, Silica. That's what I like best about you."

Her entire face lit up like a candle, and she let out a quiet squeak. "Nya hah hah," Argo laughed from the other couch. "Kii-boy's done it again."

"N-no he hasn't," Silica lied.

Kirito blinked and looked over at the info broker. "I've done what?"

"Oh, nothin'," the Rat said innocently. "Ya don' gotta worry 'bout it."

Kirito seemed a little confused, but dropped it and sat down in his regular chair. Silica was a little glad that Argo had stopped teasing her about her crush on Kirito. Looking around, she was a little confused at where Pina had gotten to, until she spotted the little blue dragon flying around and hovering, waiting patiently for Kirito to get comfortable. As soon as he stopped moving, the dragon landed neatly on his lap, curled up against his stomach, and went promptly to sleep.

Silica wondered why her pet was always so sleepy, sometimes. He slept with her, in her bed. For some reason, every now and then she would wake up and Pina would be missing a little health, her feathers damp and ruffled a bit. Silica had wondered if she was sneaking out and getting into trouble, but she always closed her door to sleep, and she was _pretty_ sure Pina couldn't open it on her own...

It was probably nothing.

* * *

 **December 8th, 2023**

Asuna sat and brushed her hair, humming to herself. It was starting to get late, so she was getting herself ready for bed. Dinner, check; bath, check; hair, almost check. It was a good routine, one that she'd developed once she started letting her hair grow out around 10 or 11 years old. Even in SAO, where brushing her hair was entirely pointless, she liked keeping to it. Brushing her hair was a soothing ritual and relaxed her, making it easier to fall asleep.

 _Knock knock_

Asuna turned around in her seat. She knew Leafa didn't knock, so it wasn't... "Argo," she smiled. The Rat was leaning against the door, arms folded across her chest. For an instant, Asuna felt bad about feeling a smug sense of superiority, but then again she was best friends with Sugu. A little envy or smugness was _nothing_ new.

"Hey, A-chan," the info broker said. "Mind if I..." She trailed off, nodding at the room.

"Oh, sure," Asuna said. "Come on in. I was just starting to get ready for bed."

Argo strolled in and plucked the hairbrush from Asuna's hands, giving it a glance. "Heh, this's th' one Kii-boy gave ya, right?" Asuna nodded. "'S nice. Wouldn't mind havin' one fer myself," she said, before she started brushing Asuna's hair in long, steady strokes.

This wasn't the first time Argo had given Asuna a hand with her nightly ritual, so the long-haired girl just smiled and settled in to enjoy the pampering. "Did you just come by to help?" she asked after a few seconds of enjoying the companionable silence.

"Not entirely," Argo admitted. "I wanted ta let ya know that I found a pret~ty nice place. It's a little outta th' way, so it'll be harder ta get ta the front lines, but other than that it's got almost everythin' we're lookin' for."

"Really?" Asuna asked excitedly. "Tell me about it, please!"

"Sure thing," Argo said with a smile Asuna could hear even if it wasn't visible with the girl standing behind her. "First off, it's a log cabin on Floor 22. Out in th' woods, wit' a nice lake nearby. Outta th' Safe Zone, but, well, 's Floor 22, there're no mobs there anyway. Lessee, what else... Oh, it's only got one floor, but th' place is big an' sprawlin', so plenty 'a room fer all of us. 'S got a nice kitchen for ya ta play in too."

"It sounds nice."

Argo snickered. "Nya hah hah, I know what yer thinkin' about. An' yeah, I made sure it had a big bathroom. Plenty 'a room fer two people in th' tub, if yer friendly enough."

Of course, their own bathroom was nice - the nicest available when they'd purchased the house - but that had been before more Floors opened up. Their bathtub was nice, but not the most comfortable thing in the world. If there was room for her to stretch out, and _really_ relax... Oh, that'd just be _bliss_. Asuna sighed happily, imagining the idea.

Argo laughed at the sound. "I thought ya'd like that." She fell silent to focus on Asuna's hair, the brush gently tugging on her hair from time to time. It was neat how accurately the game was able to recreate long hair, Asuna thought, though there were clearly some differences. It didn't feel _perfect_ ; she'd asked Kirito about it once, and he'd said that it was probably something to due with how the game processed everything. To render the world quickly enough to feel mostly real, it had to cut corners here and there, like with water and apparently hair. In the end, Asuna didn't think about it too much.

Kirito might have been super interested about it, but if she were honest her eyes started to glaze over a bit when he started spouting tech words. Argo seemed to be able to keep up with him, though. "How much will it cost us?" she asked.

The info broker hummed a little bit noncommittally. "Well, we can afford th' house easily enough, if we raid th' guild coffers," she said. "Heck, our own funds are more'n enough ta buy the place. Problem is, it's unfurnished. We'd need ta buy all th' furniture ourselves, which'll cost us a pretty penny."

Asuna sighed. "We can't use the guild funds as our piggy bank," she lightly scolded Argo. The info broker snickered shamelessly. "Besides, we need to use that col for buying an official guild headquarters. Now that we're on the second half of the game, it's time we had something professional."

"You got it, Miss Lightnin' Flash," Argo teased her right back. Asuna huffed. After a second, Argo placed the hairbrush back on the desk in front of Asuna and ran her fingers through the long hair. "There we go, all nice and silky. Gonna thank yer Big Sis Argo?"

Asuna just sighed fondly and turned around to face Argo and talk with her properly. "You could try brushing your own hair, Argo," she said idly. "It's always so tangled."

"Eh, 's just part 'a my charm."

Oh, whatever. She'd tried to get the older girl to pay more attention to her hair before, and it had always failed, so Asuna just placed the matter on the backburner once more. "Back to the furniture, how will we afford everything?"

Argo kissed her teeth lightly before clicking her tongue. "Well, we could always ask some of our friends fer the cash. But th' Black Cats jus' bought their own house, so they're runnin' low on funds. I can go talk ta Klein an' his boys, an' Agil might have some cash lyin' around."

"Go ahead and do that," Asuna said. "I'll take the others and look for some good quests that won't take too long and see how much we can make."

"Lemme know when ya find somethin'," Argo said. "Anyway, I'll get ta chattin' with th' others in the guild, see how much money I can get outta them."

"Willing donations only," Asuna called as Argo headed out of the room.

"Aw, A-chan, why do ya gotta make things _difficult_?" Argo whined playfully, waving a hand as she darted away. Asuna could only shake her head in resignation at her friend's antics.

...

 **December 15th, 2023**

Asuna stood in front of the large, sprawling log cabin, and she knew she was in love. It was everything she'd never known she wanted; a sprawling lawn, with a winding cobblestone road leading from the peaceful forest path they'd followed to get here. And the house itself was gorgeous. A small set of stairs led to a little patio, where a few simple chairs sat around a white table. From there, her eyes were naturally drawn to the cabin itself; it was large and sprawling, like Argo had told her, and the forest nearby seemed to help make it seem like a part of the environment. Large windows on the side of the house let in light, and smaller windows on the front had little trails of ivy clinging to the sill. It was a simple house, but Asuna already knew it was where she wanted to live.

The inside was just more reason to buy. A few comfortable couches and a rocking chair surrounded a table in the living room, sitting in front of the two tall windows to take full advantage of the light. Lisbeth had already sprawled out comfortably across one of them, lounging, and Asuna planted her hands on her hips with a resigned sigh and smile. "What?" Lisbeth protested. "I'm testing the couches, to see how they fit!"

"What if Kazuto saw up your skirt?" she asked.

Immediately Lisbeth blushed and sat up properly. "...He's not even in the room," she muttered, still red-faced. Asuna could only smile.

Naturally, she drifted into the kitchen after a while. She was in her rightful domain, and looked around with a smile. It had a counter for food preparation, as well as an oven, a stove, and an ice box just in case she needed to keep something cold for a while. "It's wonderful," she breathed, running a hand across the counter. They'd already filled in the place with pots and pans, hanging from a hook on the wall. "Oh, I can't _wait_ to break this in," she said. Maybe some cookies? And a nice fancy dinner to celebrate.

As she wandered through the house, she noticed Leafa looking around at the furniture; there was a plate set sitting in the curio cabinet, as well as a few paintings hanging on the wall. The girls and Kirito had gone on a shopping spree to collect everything they wanted for the house, so the furniture and decorations were eclectic but homey, reflecting each of the players that lived there. The Royal Blades had managed to collect enough col thanks to their own funds and what little Fuurinkazan had been able to spare. On top of that, Agil had paid them a little bit to drum up business for his store for a bit; they'd gotten to wear cute maid outfits while attracting customers. Plus, Kirito had looked so _cute_ in his! Asuna was glad she'd convinced Ashley to make enough outfits for everyone.

The bedrooms were also amazing. When she poked her head into the master bedroom - only named that because it had one king-sized bed, instead of two queen-sized - she blinked, and then sighed. "Of course you're napping already, sleepyhead," she said. Kirito had already taken his rightful place on the center of the bed; it was big enough for two people to sleep comfortably, three if they were friendly, one was Silica-sized, or both.

"I have to test the bed," he said shamelessly. Kirito did look peaceful lying there, so it wasn't like she could complain. Plus, Pina had curled up on the pillow next to him. Asuna reached out a hesitant hand, and Pina cracked an eye open. Asuna froze, silently pleading with her eyes for the dragon to let her pet her. The little dragon stared at her, motionless, before ruffling her feathers and closing her eyes. Asuna, later, would deny squealing as she lightly stroked the dragon.

"So fluffy," she would also deny mumbling in awe.

Eventually, all of the girls and Kirito gathered in the living room, enjoying one of Asuna's culinary masterpieces. The benefits of having her Cooking Skill totally maxed out - even with medium-quality ingredients, it was definitely delicious. "This place has a lot of extra room," Silica said.

"One master bedroom and three smaller bedrooms," Lisbeth said with a nod. "Same rooms as usual?"

"That works for me," Kirito said as he scooped a spoonful of soup. Asuna had made sure to give him the extra-spicy bowl, but he seemed to be unaffected. It was almost irritating, a little bit. "Unless you girls want something different?"

"I'm fine with how we've been sleeping now," Asuna said. Leafa giggled and grinned at the long-haired girl. A year of sleepovers had prepared her for this, and so far sleeping in the same room with the younger Kirigaya hadn't been an issue.

"Same here." "Don't have a problem with it, Kii-boy~." "I'm okay with it." Lisbeth, Argo, and Silica all chimed in with their thoughts.

It took a little bit for everyone to get comfortable, and by the end of the night Asuna found herself standing on the balcony in her room, resting on the railing. It was cold out, now that the sun had gone down, and the cool breeze from the lake rustled the curtains behind her. It just... felt like a _home_. Warm, comforting. Someplace she'd love to come back to, at the end of a long day.

Footsteps behind her made her turn, and she smiled to see Kirito approaching her in his usual casual outfit, a simple black shirt. She'd made it for him back on Floor 2, and she was glad to see he was still wearing it even though she'd had to repair its durability a few times. "Hi, Kazuto," she said.

"Hey, Asuna." He stood next to her, leaning on the railing in easy silence. The two friends had moved past needing to fill the gap with words a long time ago. Eventually, he turned to her. "...We're home."

Asuna smiled, and hugged him, resting her face against his chest. So warm, she thought. "Welcome home," she said.

* * *

 **Log cabin~ It's the log cabin~ Hooray. You can't have a harem fic without all of them living in the log cabin, after all.**

 **Let's see… Kirito and Argo didn't have much time in the spotlight last chapter, so I gave them a little bit more at the beginning. Plus, the obligatory hot springs episode. I'm pretty sure most of you saw it coming eventually, after mentioning it in Chapter 9. Still, hopefully it was sufficient fanservice for you all. Also, the return of Mystery Archer Girl. Whose identity is definitely a total mystery, and not obvious at all.**

 **Then the Floor 50 boss, and Heathcliff with the five minute-long blockstring. Silica doing her best! Remember, Heathcliff blocked for five minutes, and had the system to protect him; Silica didn't, and blocked for over six. She's really strong, when she's not wailing about how unfair her life is and how she's _definitely_ going to grow soon. And also officially converting her crush into full-on love for Kirito. I think that's all the girls except Asuna, now. Things are starting to wrap up a little bit, and we're heading for the end-game scenario.**

 **And at the end, a little bit of harem fluff. Asuna finally got to pet Pina~. And yes, the log cabin is bigger than in canon. Needs to be, to properly fit everyone it needs to. That's all, though.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.**

* * *

He smiled wryly to himself as he flipped through the pages of the Weekly Argo, Special Edition. They'd defeated the 50th boss, it seemed. And naturally, the heroes of the fight were the Royal Blades, once again. The images this time were of the little Dragon Tamer, Silica, and the guild leader Kirito.

The man chuckled. "Even after all this time, you haven't faltered. I knew I chose correctly." His lips spread in a smirk, making the tattoo on his right cheek stretch. "You're quite the protagonist, Black Prince. But now…"

"Hey, boss!" A man called out. He wore a black sack over his head, two holes cut out for his eyes. He looked absolutely ridiculous, but then again, he did have a strange, sadistic sense of humor. He loved playing 'games' with his victims. "Time to go, right?"

The man in the black poncho set the newspaper down on the piece of rock he used as a table in the Safe Zone. Yes, that's right. «It's showtime,» he said, eyes gleaming under his hood.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

* * *

 **December 20th, 2023**

"Hahaha!" Sachi laughed. Her bright laughter floated through the chilly air. "Really? Then what happened?"

Kirito chuckled. "Well, after we took out the Necromancer and The Failed Experiment, Leafa and I were able to finally take off the rings. Asuna said, 'How was I supposed to know they were cursed? Or that they were engagement rings?!'"

Sachi laughed again, giggling as she sipped at her tea. "It sounds like you had a lot of fun on that quest."

"We did, though Asuna might not agree with you," Kirito smiled as he picked up a small cookie. "So, how about you and the Black Cats, Sachi? I'm sorry we haven't been catching up as much as we used to..."

While the two players laughed and talked idly over cookies and tea, they were being watched from nearby cover. The cafe they were sitting in was outdoors, surrounded by bushes and trees, offering plenty of good hiding spots for any would-be observers to keep an eye out. Would-be observers such as, for example, the rest of the Royal Blades. All five girls were peeping on the 'date' between Kirito and Sachi, carefully hidden in the bushes; Asuna and Leafa crouched together, while Lisbeth and Silica hid in a different pair of bushes, Pina resting on her master's shoulder. Argo was... Asuna looked around, briefly, before mentally shrugging and turning back to the surprisingly cheerful meeting.

She hadn't thought Kirito had been interested in Sachi. He was always so focused on clearing Floors, except the few times that one of the Royal Blades managed to convince him to take a short break. It was all she could do sometimes to keep up with his drive, no matter how hard she tried. Sometimes Asuna even wondered if she was keeping up at all. But, now here he was, freely taking time off to meet with Sachi, of all people. And it _had_ to be a date, Asuna figured. He wasn't wearing his new Blackwyrm Coat, the sleek black coat that he'd gotten Ashley to tailor for him, or that rare breastplate they found in a dungeon that fit across his right chest perfectly. Instead, he was wearing nice casual clothes that fit him well - and Asuna would know, she'd picked them out for him when he went to Ashley to pick up his coat!

Sachi was wearing pretty clothes as well, a cute blue tunic and some black leggings with a little cat pattern along the side. She looked adorable, but Asuna just couldn't figure out why _her_. Asuna had nothing against the girl, far from it! She sometimes saw the younger girl as a little sister of sorts, someone to take under her wing. Which reminded her, she thought idly, she really needed to get that girl into a dress... Maybe something sapphire blue...

No, focus, Asuna, she reminded herself as Sachi said something that made Kirito smile wryly into his teacup. They were here to see what exactly those two talked about while on their cafe dates.

If only the others would be as focused. "Eheheh..." Leafa giggled dreamily, one hand rubbing her left ring finger. "Me and Kazuto... engagement rings..." Asuna nudged the black-haired girl with her shoulder, trying to snap the girl out of her clearly pleasant daydream. She loved her dearly, and sometimes that meant making sure Leafa didn't drift off into her own little world. Leafa blinked, looking at her as her eyes refocused, and then went bright red. "Um. Right, sorry, I'm focusing..."

Lisbeth and Silica seemed alert, at least. Asuna scanned nearby, making sure her Hiding Skill was still active, and noticed a suspicious blurring near one of the bushes on the other side of the clearing. She stared at it intently, not letting the blurring distract her, and sure enough a form was revealed. Sasamaru blinked and looked her way in surprise, before rubbing at his eyes. "Asuna? What are you doing here?" he whispered, creeping to the bushes next to her.

"We're watching our guild leader," she whispered back. "Are you here alone?"

"No, the Black Cats are here to figure out what Sachi's been doing with Kirito. N-Not that we'd say anything if she chose him, but..."

It was so easy to see that every Black Cat had a crush on the sole female member of their party, Asuna thought. If anything, she was surprised Sachi hadn't figured it out on her own. Or maybe the girl did know? No, no way, Asuna thought. She's too nice to do that. Granted, she didn't talk to the girl much... Maybe that should change? They were starting to plan a Christmas dinner, so maybe everyone should be invited. The Black Cats were definitely part of the Royal Blades, no matter what their title was officially. Besides, they did so much for them by helping the young children gather materials and play around safely, so she wanted to do something nice for them.

"Do you know what they've been talking about?" Ducker whispered, leaning over Sasamaru to stare at Asuna. "She always seems so relaxed when she comes back, so we wanted to know what's going on."

Asuna shook her head. "This is the first time we've followed them ourselves," she told the Black Cats. "He seemed - ah!"

Her yelp had come because Kirito had leaned over and gently rested a hand on Sachi's; the black-haired girl smiled at him. Asuna's eyes opened wide as she stared, bristling; she knew Leafa would be bristling all the same even without looking at her, and she could see Silica and Lisbeth staring with their jaws dropped. All of the Moonlit Black Cats seemed poleaxed by the swift turn of events.

Wh-wh-when did they get so close?! Asuna stared, blushing bright red in embarrassment over their public display. Th-that wasn't possible!

With a quiet yelp followed by a thump, Argo toppled over and fell out of a tree, notebook and pencil still open in her hands as she laid on the ground next to Lisbeth and Silica. Asuna looked up at the tree she'd fallen out of before shaking her head. So _that_ was where she'd been hiding...

"I think it's almost time to go," Kirito said, and Asuna snapped her attention back to the two of them. She felt herself tremble in more embarrassment at the sight of Kirito smiling happily at Sachi. "Do you want to meet the same time next week?"

Sachi smiled back. "That'd be nice. I really like this." What was this vague sense of defeat Asuna felt? And why did she feel _jealous_ about it? Oh. Of course... It was because Sachi, as sweet as she was, wasn't one of the Royal Blades. It felt like an outsider had swooped in and snatched up the prize right in front of Asuna. _That_ was why the fires of jealousy burned in Asuna's stomach, feeling like she'd taken a bite of one of Kirito's super-spicy sandwiches.

...

Of course, the girls made it back to the log cabin before Kirito, just so that he wouldn't know they'd been peeping on his date. Asuna went to the kitchen to make some cookies as comfort food, while the others scattered to various parts of the house; she knew Leafa went out to swing her katana, but wasn't quite sure where the other girls had gone.

As Asuna prepared the ingredients for the cookies, she couldn't help but keep thinking about Kirito and Sachi. How they'd seemed so at ease with each other, and how they'd already made plans to go on a d-date next week. And, and they'd keep dating, and may-maybe they'd go out in the real world, and even kiss, and ha-ha-have s-s-s-se-

With a quiet, embarrassed wail, Asuna dropped her cooking tools and crouched on the floor, pressing her palms to her flaming cheeks. No waaaaaay! she wailed in her head. No no no no no! She wasn't going to give up their Kirito, not in the slightest! She loved him too much for that to happen. Sachi was a nice girl, but there was absolutely zero way she was going to let her steal him and do this and that together after turning off the Ethics Code!

"...Asuna?"

Asuna, to her abject mortification, let out a squeak of surprise when Kirito spoke up. "K-Kazuto!" She stood up in a rush and smiled, but it was a little weak, and she could feel her lips twitching a little bit. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I just got back from talking with Sachi," he said, scratching his cheek. "But, uh... Were you and the other girls spying on us?"

"Um..." Asuna looked away, not meeting his eyes. "...What gave us away?"

"Argo falling out of a tree was very noticeable," he said easily. "But until then, I didn't know you were there. If you don't mind me asking, why were you there?"

"Curiosity," Asuna admitted. "We were wondering where you've been going every week."

"I didn't... Oh, right, I didn't tell you," Kirito said sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry, that's my bad. I just didn't think it was that important."

Asuna stared at him. "Wha- of course it's important, Kazuto! Something like that... It's a huge change for us..." She started off strong but trailed off and poked the tips of her fingers together at the end. "At least for me and Sugu..."

Kirito just blinked in surprise. "Oh, okay. Sorry to worry you, Asuna," he said. "It's just that Sachi and I have a few things in similar with our guilds, so we've just been talking about that. Like how I'm the only guy, and she's the only girl." He laughed. Meanwhile, Asuna reeled from the abrupt revelation that they _weren't_ dating, that Kirito and Sachi _weren't_ going to have se- that the Royal Blades wasn't going to lose their Kirito. "Did you know she has no idea all of the Black Cats have a crush on her?"

Asuna glanced up at him, eyes flat. "Yeah, I have no idea how someone could be that dense," she said.

"...Did I say something wrong?"

"Not at all," Asuna said. Her voice was a little frosty. After a second of enjoying her righteous indignation, she relented, though. It wasn't as if she'd ever said anything to him, after all, so how was he supposed to know... "Actually, I was thinking of inviting the Black Cats over for Christmas Day. Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Sure," Kirito said with a smile. "That'll be fun, having more friends over. But do you think we could have them over on Christmas Eve instead? I, um... I'd like to spend Christmas Day with all of you." He scratched his cheek, looking away.

Asuna, naturally, smiled at the admission. "Of course, Kazuto," she said, almost eagerly. "I'll go message them right away." She couldn't help but smile. He wanted to spend time with them and only them! And more importantly, he and Sachi weren't dating! Asuna could barely stop herself from giggling happily.

Naturally, she rushed over and tackled him like a long-haired missile. When he wrapped his arms around her in his usual response, Asuna sighed happily. "I love it when you touch me," she said. "It feels warm and makes me tingle."

"Uh, Asuna," Kirito said, "the way you said that... it sounds kinda sexual."

Her cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire. "Wha-! N-No, I didn't mean it like that!"

Her beloved Kazuto... He'd given her everything, honestly. When she'd met him, she had been the good girl her parents - mother, really - had been molding her to be. Always be polite, always study hard and top the ranks of the school. Get good grades in high school, so she could get into a good college. Get into a good college so she could get a good job. There hadn't been any end goal in sight. But... But she had one now. She knew what she wanted to do with her life.

She wanted to spend it with him. With Kirito, the boy who'd freed her from her parent's chains and shown her how to choose her own path. Who'd shown her where real strength came from, and who'd shown her how to grasp her future with her own hands and the point of her rapier. In the end, she figured, it didn't matter where she lived or what her job was, so long as she was able to be with Kirito.

And that was her decision. It wasn't a marriage her mother had arranged for her, or a path that she'd been told she had to follow. It was _her_ choice.

After enjoying the hug a little bit longer and nuzzling against him, Asuna stepped back. "I'll go message the Black Cats and let them know we're throwing a party!"

* * *

 **December 24th, 2023**

"Thanks for coming along with me, Liz," Leafa said with a cheerful smile.

That innocent, pure happiness was definitely a sibling trait, Lisbeth thought, because her big brother would show the exact same smile from time to time. "Yeah, no prob," Lisbeth replied.

It was the last chance the two girls would have to go out and explore the game on their own; since it was Christmas Eve once again, the main circle of the Royal Blades was gearing up for a huge celebration. Lisbeth had even talked to a few of the people that worked with them, and helped organize a party for the other members as well, but the celebration for the inner group was special. And then the next day they'd be spending the day lazily, and all to themselves... Lisbeth kept catching herself looking forward to spending the day with Kirito.

Speaking of Kirito... "It's a shame Kirito can't come," Lisbeth sighed.

Leafa sighed as well, the exact same way. "Yeah... But Asuna said she needed Kazuto for help preparing for the party, so there's not much we can do about it."

"Ah, let her have her errand boy," Lisbeth grinned, and Leafa giggled. "And Argo already dragged Silica off for... uh, info broker stuff."

"I think she said she needed her for, um, 'lookin' cute an' throwin' the client off'," Leafa said, mimicking Argo's accent briefly. That's right, Lisbeth remembered, Argo mentioned idly that she was dealing with a really, irritatingly aggressive player that insisted on buying information. It made sense; she wasn't sure _anyone_ could be rude and aggressive when Silica was standing next to them.

In the end, Leafa had chosen Lisbeth to go along with her to the floor while the black-haired girl searched for mats to upgrade her armor. She was the last of the main circle to get around to upgrading her equipment - mainly because she'd been the most recent upgrade before the recent cycle started, so she could afford to wait - but Leafa's leather armor and breastplate was starting to get a little weak for anyone's liking. So, she was going to collect materials for upgrading once she got it made.

It made sense to bring her along, Lisbeth thought. Since she was a blacksmith, she'd probably be able to help gather any of the ores needed, if the mats didn't come from regular mob drops. According to Argo, there were some good drops on Floor 55; it was a little bit behind the front lines, which was why the pink-haired blacksmith didn't mind going as just the duo. It was, however, a good thing they didn't have to go up in the mountains.

Just the thought of it made Lisbeth shiver, even though she was wearing a warm fluffy coat with a scarf wrapped around her neck. She breathed out, a puff of breath washing over her mittened hands, before wishing she was back home with a hot cup of Asuna's tea or hot chocolate. Up in front of her, Leafa seemed unaffected by the cold, and Lisbeth felt the stirrings of jealousy for the younger girl's ability to -

"Achoo!" Leafa sneezed, before sniffling. Suddenly, Lisbeth felt a little bit better. "Ugh, I'll be glad to finish the grinding and go home where it's warmer. We only need a few more drops, and get some more stuff from the mining point, right?"

"Right," Lisbeth said. "We should be able to get the drops on the way to the mining point, but if we don't I know a good spawn point."

"I'm glad you're here," Leafa said sincerely. Lisbeth grinned at the girl.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you're not waiting until later," Lisbeth teased Leafa. "At least, until Kirito's free so you can get his opinion."

"Wha- It's not like that!" Leafa exclaimed, blushing. "It's just I've always brought him along shopping, so it makes sense to ask him for advice, a-and he knows a lot about the game, and..."

Lisbeth just smirked knowingly. "Mm-hmm," she hummed. Ah, it was fun teasing the siblings. Still, she stopped teasing the poor girl about always wanting her big brother to be proud of her.

Instead, she focused on looking out for surprise attacks. The area was hilly and had a lot of places where mobs could hide and sneak up on them, so the two girls kept a close eye out on their surroundings, just in case. They _probably_ didn't have anything to worry about, but it wasn't a good idea to let their guard down anyway. Because they were always looking around, Lisbeth noticed a player lying in wait. She rested a hand on Leafa's arm and gestured to their form, and Leafa nodded before the two of them carefully approached.

Once they got closer, Lisbeth relaxed a little bit. The bright blue scarf trailing down the player's back was one clue to their identity, but the real giveaway was the bow in her hands, drawn back and arrow nocked. Kirito had told the girls more about that girl that had joined them in the hot spring during the victory party from beating the Floor 50 boss, so she wasn't surprised by the Unique Skill she was showing off.

The two Royal Blades waited patiently as the girl barely breathed, all but motionless - and then she released the glowing arrow and it rocketed forward, smashing through a mob down the hill from them. As it shattered, the girl seemed to relax - only to tense up again when Leafa started clapping. "Oops, sorry," Leafa said when the archer nearly toppled over from the shock. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You're... the Royal Blades," she said slowly.

Lisbeth grinned. "Yep! Glad you remember us. You're... Sorry, I didn't catch your name back at the hot spring."

The girl pushed her hood back, revealing the shorter black hair and glasses. Two white ribbons pulled her bangs into little pigtails that framed her face, keeping the hair out of her eyes. "Sinon," she said quietly.

"Nice to meet you, Sinon," Lisbeth said cheerfully. "...Hey, this might be a weird question, but do you want to party with us for a bit?" The girl blinked in surprise, her eyes wide behind her glasses. "I mean, it's cool if you want to be on your own, but the Floor can be kinda dangerous if you don't have someone watching your back. We'll only be here for a bit, to grind for drops, but if you want..."

She wasn't sure _why_ Kirito had been so nice to the girl - sure, he was nice to _everyone_ , but she was pretty sure he would draw the line at letting them in to share a hot spring with his guild members if they weren't special for some reason - but she didn't mind trying to make friends with her.

Sinon wrapped her arms around herself in something that was almost a hug. Lisbeth wondered if the girl was cold; she'd tugged her scarf up over her mouth already, but the rest of her equipment didn't seem all that warm. "I'm finished for today," she said after a second. "I've got everything I need for new gear. I just... grinded a bit to finish a level."

"Oh, okay," Lisbeth said. Something in the way Sinon was standing, or something she'd said, Lisbeth wasn't quite sure, told her that pressing further wouldn't be helpful. She wasn't quite sure why, but listening to that instinct had led to Lisbeth being part of the Royal Blades, so she decided it was pretty helpful. "Feel free to swing by Lisbeth's Smith Shop once you get the look down! I'll be more than willing to get you all armored up."

The sniper ducked her head and headed off, walking through the woods as she drew her hood up over her head. Leafa watched her leave, and then turned to Lisbeth. "Should we go after her or something?"

"Mmm... Nah, she'll be fine," Lisbeth said. "I think she was grinding in order to go after that flag boss tonight, maybe..." She shook her head. That was something they were going to worry about _after_ the Christmas party. "Anyway! Let's hurry up and get those upgrade items so we can get back home where it's warm."

"Yeah," Leafa nodded quickly. "Brr... I can't feel my nose," she grumbled.

...

"Cheers!"

The Royal Blades and the Moonlit Black Cats all chorused together, clinking their glasses of juice together. Argo had _suggested_ buying beer - 'It's not like ya _actually_ get drunk!' - but Asuna had flatly denied the idea, restricting their drinks to just water, tea, and juice. Well, Lisbeth thought as she drank, it tasted good anyway.

It had taken a few hours, but the two allied guilds had finally got everything together just in time for dinner. Asuna and Kirito had, somehow, procured a whole feast for the group, and everyone was going to town with gusto. Asuna floated around from group to group like a good hostess, while Kirito seemed to mostly bounce between talking to the male Moonlit Black Cats - male because Sachi had immediately been snatched away by Argo and Leafa for girl talk - and whichever of the Royal Blades was vying for his attention at the time. N-Not that Lisbeth did that! She... just really needed his opinion on what she should upgrade her mace with next, that was all. Totally a relevant question, and not because she liked talking to him.

Jeez, she thought as she realized how her thoughts were spinning, she really _was_ in love with the guy. It wasn't like it was a surprise or anything, but reminding herself of the fact brought another blush to her face that she tried to drown with more juice.

Eventually, Asuna had greeted everyone and rejoined the girl huddle. "Really? Sachi, that's so mean to them," Leafa giggled.

"I-It's not being mean," Sachi protested.

"Who's not being mean?" Asuna asked.

Lisbeth finished chuckling, and explained, "The Moonlit Black Cats bought a house, same as we did, but there's only two bedrooms. So the boys have to squeeze in the two beds there, since they gave Sachi one all to herself! Sachi said that Ducker's sleeping on the couch, and Tetsuo and Sasamaru are sharing one of the beds."

"Oh, Sachi," Asuna said with a giggle.

"I didn't ask them to give me the room all to myself!" Sachi exclaimed, blushing a little bit. "And I liked the house, but that didn't mean they had to buy it! Oh... I don't know how you all do it," she mumbled, hiding her face in her hands.

"Nya hah hah," Argo laughed. "That's 'cause we _share_ in here, Sachi. An' prob'ly because we thought ahead and got a house with enough bedrooms."

"Ohhh..." Sachi wailed into her hands.

Asuna put her arms around the younger girl's shoulders and brought her into a hug. "There, there," she said soothingly. "It's okay. Actually, this might be good timing."

Sachi looked up at her. "What?"

"We're getting you into a dress tonight," Asuna declared. Sachi immediately started protesting, but Asuna would hear none of it, sweeping the younger girl into the kitchen. The others followed suit, Lisbeth poking her head over to where the boys were watching with confusion.

"Fashion emergency," she said. "Don't come looking for us until we come out."

"O-okay?" Keita said slowly. As Lisbeth headed back to the kitchen where the other girls were, she saw Kirito reach over and put his hand on Keita's shoulder in consolidation.

Eh, he needed more guy friends anyway, she didn't feel bad about ditching half of the people at the party.

Inside the kitchen, with a little curtain blocking the boys' view, Sachi was standing in front of the other girls as they all stood and studied her. "Hmm..." Asuna hummed to herself. "Definitely a dress, your legs are amazing. What do you think?"

Argo tilted her head, idly toying with her hair. "Maybe some heels? She's shorter than th' boys, so it'll help with that a lil' bit."

"I don't know how to walk in heels!" Sachi protested.

"Shh," Argo shushed her. "They'll be kitten heels, so not too tall, an' ya can learn quickly enough, A-chan an' I can give ya tips."

Argo wore heels? Lisbeth wasn't sure why that surprised her as much as it did. Maybe because she'd never seen the info broker wearing anything other than those comfortable boots of hers.

"But what _color_ ," Asuna mused.

"Mm, maybe somethin' light blue?"

"It'll work, but that's what she's always wearing, I was hoping for more of a wow factor."

Leafa, Silica, and Lisbeth just kept looking back and forth as Asuna and Argo went to town. The pink-haired blacksmith leaned over. "Do either of you have any idea what they're talking about?"

"Nope," Silica shook her head immediately.

"Me neither," Leafa said, eyes wide.

"Don't you go clothes-shopping with Asuna all the time, though?" Lisbeth asked her.

Leafa shrugged helplessly. "I'll be honest, I like wearing looser clothes," she said. "They're easier to move in. When it comes to the fancy stuff, I've got no idea... But I didn't realize Asuna knew so _much_."

Lisbeth nodded in understanding. "Yeah... I think we're just going to sit and watch for now."

Meanwhile, Sachi had been forced to open up her trade menu as Asuna and Argo started piling all sorts of clothes and cosmetic items inside. "I-I can't pay you back for all this!" the poor girl tried, in a vain attempt to make them stop.

Asuna immediately shook her head. "Don't you worry about a thing," she told the girl. "It's fine."

"O-Okay..."

Silica shook her head. "It's impossible to stop Asuna once she gets started," she said.

"Tell me about it," Lisbeth sighed. Okay, fine, so she liked her outfit _now_ , but it was super embarrassing when Asuna had forced it on her! She briefly considered feeling sorry for Kirito, who'd been dragged into that maid outfit, but then she remembered how he _looked_ in that maid outfit and didn't feel sorry in the slightest. Yep, Silica had been right - it really had suited him.

"I think that's enough for now," Asuna said to Argo. Lisbeth peeked over the info broker's screen at the trade list, and coughed in surprise. That... That was a _lot_ of items. "Okay, Sachi, put these on and we'll see if there's anything to change."

"Okay," Sachi said, clearly giving up on stopping the two second-in-commands of the Royal Blades. She tapped her menu a few times, and then her clothes shifted with a flash of light.

When it cleared, Lisbeth let out a whistle. "Wow, you look _great_ , girl!" she said, smiling at the clearly-nervous girl. Silica clapped and gasped in awe.

"See? Me an' A-chan know what we're talkin' about," Argo said with satisfaction.

"Was it this mouth that was surprised I knew what I was talking about? Was it?"

"Ah-una," Leafa whined as Asuna tugged on her cheeks playfully, stretching them out. "Stoh ih! Ah'm sowwy!"

Sachi rocked back and forth awkwardly as she tried to keep her balance on the light-blue heeled sandals that gave her a little bit extra of height, showing off her legs amazingly. The dress Asuna and Argo had chosen started out deep midnight blue at the top, wrapping around her left shoulder while leaving the right bare, and very slightly got lighter as it reached her knees, sparkling like it was studded with stars at the hem. A blue rose rested on the fabric on Sachi's left shoulder, matching the ones on the straps of her sandals, while a light-blue ribbon wrapped around her upper right arm with a rose decorating it as well.

All in all, Lisbeth thought, she looked really good. Sachi blushed as she noticed the girls studying her. "Wh-what? Do I look silly?" she asked weakly.

"Definitely not," Asuna said firmly. "Here, take a look." She drew Sachi over to the bathroom and showed her the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. "See?" she asked as Sachi stared in amazement. "Beautiful."

"I..." Sachi gasped. "Oh wow."

"Yer gonna knock 'em dead, Sachi," Argo said with a grin. "Now, we gonna go show the boys?"

Asuna smiled. "Of course we are."

"W-wait, I still can't walk in these!"

"Ah, it's easy, all ya gotta do is walk heel ta toe, an' it should follow naturally. Jus' don't rush, an' they won't notice a thing even if ya wobble a lil' bit."

Lisbeth grinned and took Leafa and Silica with her, letting Asuna and Argo escort Sachi back down the hallway. "Hey guys," Lisbeth called as they entered the living room, catching the attention of the boys. "Dun dundun da! Take a look!"

It was hilarious the way the eyes of every single Moonlit Black Cat widened at the sight of Sachi entering the room. "S-Sachi?!" Keita yelped.

"You look great!" Ducker exclaimed, giving the blushing girl a thumbs up.

"See? Told you they'd love it," Asuna said.

Kirito just sighed. "Asuna, did you make Sachi dress up?" Asuna puffed her cheeks out at him, but everyone in the Royal Blades knew that she'd enjoyed indulging in her love of dressing people up.

The party resumed, this time with the clusters switched up a little bit. Sachi was the focus of the Moonlit Black Cats, while Kirito moved back over to be with his own guild. That wasn't to say they didn't chat, just that the majority of the boys' attention was on their beautiful teammate.

After another hour or two of munching away steadily at the finger food, Lisbeth finally felt full and took a seat on the couch, sitting next to the sleeping Pina. The little dragon's flank rose and fell, heedless of the merriment going on around her. "Hey, Pina," Lisbeth said, gently petting the little dragon. She opened one eye and then yawned, showing off her needle-like teeth and pink tongue before rolling over indolently and giving her access to scratch her stomach. "Yes, you're cute," she said in the tone of voice everyone uses when talking to a baby or a particularly adorable pet.

Before too long, the Moonlit Black Cats said their goodbyes and left - though Asuna and Argo had to make Sachi stop trying to give back the fancy clothes - the Royal Blades sat down in the living room. "Hope ya aren't too full, ladies," Argo said with a grin. "'Cause we've still got work ta do."

"You're talking about the event boss," Asuna said. "Instead of those cute rabbits, it's..."

"Yep." Argo popped the P sound. "Nicholas the Renegade. Santa's gone rogue, I guess. Now, I've been gatherin' information on where he'll pop up, but it's not much - just that he'll spawn under a fir tree somewhere."

"You give info brokers a bad name," Kirito said drily.

Argo pouted at him. "Hey, 's not like this was in the beta, y'know. It's a firs'-time event."

Asuna smiled at their byplay before leaning forward. "The major guilds are looking for the spawn point even as we speak, but none of them have been able to find it yet. Kazuto... do you have an idea?"

Kirito looked at all of them, and then smiled. "I think I do."

...

Snow crunched under all their feet as they walked through the snowy forest, following Kirito as he read from his map. "Stupid cold," Lisbeth muttered. She'd been so happy to be able to get warm, and now here she was, back out in the cold. It was kinda like how she was two years older than Leafa, but they'd developed so differently. Life just wasn't fair.

Silica gave her a commiserating look, but the young girl had heavy armor to keep her warm, plus a living scarf. The three players up front, Kirito, Asuna, and Argo, didn't seem to notice the cold at all, of course.

The 35th Floor wasn't one Lisbeth was all that familiar with, honestly, and the dungeon they were in was particularly frustrating to navigate. The Forest of Wandering was a random-teleport dungeon, and every minute the dungeon would warp players to a random square. Fortunately, after buying an expensive map from the nearby town, they were able to sorta navigate through the dungeon by following a correct path. In this case, Kirito was ignoring the mobs that spawned - like a weird ape creature with a club shaped like a gourd, whatever the heck that thing was - and heading for one square in particular in the corner of the Forest.

It took them about twenty minutes, but eventually the guild was able to make it through the maze and stood, looking up at a huge fir tree in the next area. This was definitely a special zone, Lisbeth thought; they'd been standing around in the snow for over a minute by this point, and they hadn't been warped away. As for why they stopped...

"Kazuto?" Asuna asked as Kirito looked around, hand on his sword. "Is something wrong?"

"...Someone's here," Kirito declared. His eyes were searching, but he didn't seem too worried. Why would he be? Lisbeth asked herself. After all, they were all there with him. As long as they stuck together and didn't let anything separate them, there wasn't _anything_ the Royal Blades couldn't handle.

Argo casually reached down to her hip, where her wicked claws hung innocently. She was the weakest of all the Royal Blades, but Lisbeth wasn't fooled, she'd seen the info broker tear through mobs with ease. "Ya noticed 'em too, Kii-boy?"

"Them?" Kirito started to ask, when the noise of players teleporting in attracted all of their attention.

Lisbeth turned around to see a group of players, all dressed in green equipment very similar to each other, standing behind them in a loose ring as they were warped in by the system. She clicked her tongue in irritation. The Army... More accurately the Aincrad Liberation Force, it was the guild that had formed when the remnants of Kibaou's shattered guild (Aincrad Liberation Squad) merged with the MMO Today guild on the first Floor. The nickname Army came from their armored uniforms - the same green equipment that each of the seven players surrounding them was wearing.

Silica looked at Kirito curiously. "What's the Army doing here?" she asked. "Did you invite them, Kirito?"

"No, I doubt it," Asuna said, watching the players smirk and laugh. Like the rest of the Royal Blades, her hand rested on her rapier hilt, but she hadn't drawn her weapon. "You're from the Army, right?" she called. "Can we help you?"

The player in front stepped forward. "Yeah, you can," he said. Lisbeth winced at the high-pitched whine in his voice. She knew he didn't mean it, but Lisbeth couldn't help but hear a petulant complaint in every word. "This rare item's gonna put the Army back on the map! That guy told us it was powerful... Of _course_ the Royal Blades want it for themselves," he sneered.

"Joe, right?" Kirito asked. Well, his voice was distinctive, Lisbeth figured, so it wasn't a surprise he knew his name. "I'm not sure what you've heard, but this item won't -"

"Shut up, you idiot!" Joe screeched. Asuna's eyes went flat, and Leafa visibly bristled. "You just want to keep it all to yourself! That's what he said!"

"Hey, hey, howsabout we all jus' calm down," Argo said. Still, her eyes were narrowed, and if she had a tail it would be lashing back and forth. "So, Joe, I'm thinkin' ya might have been misinformed a bit. Mind tellin' me yer source? I'll pay ya well. C'mon, whaddaya say?" she asked.

Joe drew his sword, the ring of steel echoed by the rest of the Army players, and Lisbeth hefted her hammer in return. On Silica's shoulder, Pina flared her wings and hissed at the Army players. "You just want all the power! That's all you've been after, all you've ever been after! I knew you were just greedy beaters! Well, I'm going to _make_ you get out of my way!"

"Hey." Argo's voice wasn't quite so easygoing this time, her words holding a sharp bite to them that somehow reminded Lisbeth of a cat's fangs. "There's no need fer this ta turn violent. Jus' put away yer swords an' we can still work this out."

For a second, it seemed like the Army players would listen to her. The rank and file players behind Joe didn't seem all _that_ interested in fighting the top guild, with the way they shifted awkwardly and glanced at each other. Unfortunately, Joe ruined that by letting out a screech he probably thought was intimidating and charged forward, raising his sword over his head and swinging directly at Kirito.

The blade slammed into Silica's shield as the younger girl put herself between Kirito and Joe, and bounced off without so much as making her twin-tails shake. Lisbeth stared as Joe sprawled out on the ground, yelping and clutching at his hand. How the heck did they make it up here if they're that weak? Lisbeth wondered. Silica blinked in surprise and looked at her shield before looking back at Joe. "I-I'm not afraid!" Joe shouted, grabbing his sword and holding it in both hands this time.

"Oi! The hell do ya think yer doin', ya idiot!"

Joe froze. The Royal Blades all shifted awkwardly in surprise as a familiar player stormed forward. Kibaou grabbed Joe by the back of the head. "S-Sir!" Joe whined. "I was just going to -"

"Ya were just gonna attack Kirito and the Royal Blades, right?" Kibaou asked him. "Yer lucky that samurai wannabe grabbed me and told me a few of my men were doing something stupid, or ya might not be so lucky! Now 'pologize!" The spiky-haired man pressed on the back of Joe's head, forcing the man into a bow.

The 'samurai wannabe' walked over to where the Royal Blades were standing, and Argo sighed in relief. "Thankies fer handlin' that, Klein," she said. "Glad ya were readin' yer messages."

"No prob!" Klein gave her a thumbs up. "If there's any way I can help you guys out, just let me know."

Kirito smiled. "Thanks, Klein. You're a good friend."

"Heh, don't you forget it!" Klein laughed before adopting a pleading look. "And if you ever wanna repay your good buddy, maybe consider teaching me your ways! Please, Master!"

The girls laughed weakly, while Kirito shook his head with a sigh, burying his head in his hands. "Just... get outta here, Klein," Kirito said.

"Sure, sure, keep your secrets to yourself. Don't worry about it," Klein said. He left with a cheerful wave, following Kibaou and the rest of the Army members as the spiky-haired man hustled Joe away. The Royal Blades just... watched them leave, silent.

Eventually, Leafa was the first one to break the ice. "That was weird."

"Yep," Silica nodded.

Kirito turned to Argo. "How did Klein know where we were? And what did Kibaou mean by Klein letting him know what was going on?"

"I told 'im soon as Joe an' his gang started followin' us," she said. When Kirito stared at her, she shrugged shamelessly. "What, he wants ta help us out, an' I figured this'd be a better way ta deal with that idiot 'stead 'a fightin'."

Kirito looked at her, and then reached out to rest a hand on her head. Argo grinned slyly before she closed her eyes and leaned into the praise, all but purring happily. "Thanks, Argo."

"Anytime, Kii-boy~. Jus' remember ta praise me~."

He pulled his hand away after a little bit - which was _way_ too long for Lisbeth's liking, and she was pretty sure the others felt the same way - and folded his arms. "Though... I don't think they were the only ones following us." He hummed under his breath and looked around before nodding once.

Lisbeth and the others watched as, without explaining, Kirito walked over to a seemingly featureless tree. Silica opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again without a word. He looked up at the tree, shifted to the right, and then punched the tree firmly. It shook for a second, shedding snow on the ground. Then, abruptly, there was a loud feminine yelp and a player tumbled from the trees. Kirito spread his arms and she landed in a picture-perfect princess carry. Her hood fell back and Lisbeth gasped as Sinon stared up at Kirito. "Hi there," he said.

"Wha- Hey, put me down!" she complained. She squirmed in his grasp, and Kirito visibly shrugged before dropping her. Sinon yelped again, louder than before, as her butt hit the snow piled at the base of the tree. "Ow... Hey, what was that for?"

"You asked me to put you down, so I did," Kirito said. Lisbeth snickered at his bland delivery and Sinon's brief scowl.

She stood up and brushed herself off. The equipment she was wearing wasn't different from what she'd been wearing earlier that day, and Lisbeth frowned. Hadn't she said she wanted to start wearing new armor? "I didn't mean for you to _drop_ me," Sinon grumbled.

"So, why were you following us?" Kirito asked. "You could have just asked to join, we have an empty slot in the party."

Sinon looked away. "I didn't want to intrude," she said. Her left hand crept over to grip her right arm as she hugged herself.

"Hey, we said you were welcome to join us," Lisbeth said. Sinon looked at her, eyes a little wary. "Wait... You weren't trying to _solo_ the boss, were you?"

"Don't be silly, Liz," Asuna said. "Not even Kazuto's that silly. Right?" She looked at Kirito for confirmation. The boy hesitated. " _Right_?" she asked again.

"Well, maybe if I had a good reason, and I level-grinded a bunch ahead of time..." Kirito whispered under his breath.

"Eh?" Asuna asked. "Why do I feel like you just said something totally ridiculous?"

Kirito's eyes darted away from her. "I-I didn't say anything!" Asuna studied him thoughtfully, clearly not totally buying his denial, but didn't pry. "Anyway." Kirito coughed once and then looked back to Sinon. "What do you say, Sinon? Wanna work with us for now?"

Sinon looked at him, stealing a glance from the side, before sighing heavily. "Alright," she said. Kirito smiled victoriously and sent the party invite; Sinon stared at the panel for what Lisbeth felt was a little bit _too_ long before she sighed again and pressed the Accept button. Her health bar appeared under the rest of theirs, and Lisbeth couldn't help but glance at the empty marker where they all had the guild marker. After that, though, she looked at the level indicator, and stopped herself from letting out a surprised whistle. Sinon was just a few levels below the Royal Blades' average, and she was a solo player. That was really, really impressive, Lisbeth thought.

Sinon stood near them but a little bit away, and there was something a little weird about the way she kept stealing glances at the group of six. What was weirder was that Kirito kept looking at _Sinon_ out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, Kirito?" Lisbeth asked.

"Huh?" He shook himself in surprise and looked at her. "What is it, Liz?"

She glanced at Sinon, and then lowered her voice a little bit, leaning closer. "So, um, you don't have to answer this if you don't want, but... Is there a reason you keep looking at her?" Privately, she hoped he wouldn't say something weird like he thought she was cute. Sinon _was_ , Lisbeth wouldn't deny that, but she didn't want to hear Kirito say it. She wasn't sure her heart could take that kind of disappointment -

"Actually, she feels familiar..." Kirito scratched the back of his head. "I think I met her a while back, before November, but it's fuzzy. I've been trying to remember, but I'm coming up blank. I think she might have been at one of those training camps I ran back at the beginning of the game."

"Oh, okay." Lisbeth hoped that her relief didn't bleed through into her voice. "Just curious."

They all ran through one last check before heading through the nearly invisible transition between this zone and the one that housed the huge fir tree that loomed over their heads. Lisbeth glanced at the time hovering in the corner of her vision: almost midnight. "Hey... Maybe I missed something," Silica said, "but... what's the boss's drop, anyway?"

"Eh?" Argo asked. She blinked at the younger girl, as if in disbelief that one of _her_ party members could be so ill-informed. "That's -" She cut off her words when Kirito cleared his throat. "I was gonna say, 'That's an easy question', Kii-boy, so bleh." She stuck her tongue out and pulled at her eyelid.

"Uh huh." Kirito just folded his arms.

"I was," Argo whined before she shook her head. "Anyway, the item is a one-use item. S'posedly, ya can use it ta revive a player."

Leafa let out a gasp of shock. "Revive someone!?"

Argo glanced at the younger girl. "Dunno how reliable the rumors are," she admitted, "but if there's even the slightest chance, we gotta check, right?"

"Right," Asuna said.

Lisbeth grinned at the determination in that one firm word, but glanced sidelong at Sinon. She trusted the girl, but still wondered why _she_ was trying so hard to kill the boss and earn the revival item. Almost immediately, she realized the most obvious answer, and her stomach sunk a little bit. _Oh..._

"Well!" She clapped her hands to distract herself and hopefully everyone else that made the connection. "Let's hurry up and beat up Santa already, my hands are getting cold."

Silica and Leafa laughed brightly, and the stillness of the night was broken as they walked through the barrier leading to the next zone. It warped them to a smaller zone where the massive tree stood in the center of a snow-filled glade, glowing with a strange blue light that illuminated the area. It was a circular area, and that was enough of a clue that it was a special arena designed for the flag boss. "Stay sharp," Kirito said to the girls as he unsheathed his blades.

They spread out cautiously, keeping an eye out for the boss. The Royal Blades split into pairs unconsciously, splitting the tanks and DPS; Lisbeth only grumbled under her breath for a second when she wasn't able to get with Kirito, but Asuna simply shook her head as she stood next to the pink-haired girl. Leafa, on the other hand, was grinning like she'd won the lottery. And, as Lisbeth watched the Kirigaya siblings stand next to each other, she wondered if the little sister _hadn't_ won something... Ah, she was probably just overthinking things. They were brother and sister, after all.

The clock tower bell rang, signaling the moment it changed from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, and Argo jumped in her skin a little bit before grinning sheepishly. From nowhere, the sound of sleigh bells ringing echoed through the air, and Lisbeth gripped her hammer a little bit tighter. She scanned the sky, and her eyes were immediately caught by two trails of white light, high above them. The sleigh trails - because what else could they be? - crossed over them, and Kirito inhaled sharply just before a shape plunged towards them.

Lisbeth had just enough time to register the flapping red coat before the shape smashed into the ground at the base of the tree, snow flying everywhere in a curtain of white. When the blast of wind and snow died down, she looked up and gasped at the sight in front of her. It was what could only be described as a twisted Santa Claus, standing way too tall for its thin, gangly limbs. Its skin was blue and its wildly matted hair looked almost like straw, the way the waist-length beard stuck out in wild directions. Creepiest of all was the way its red eyes pointed in different directions. It twitched and creaked as it moved, sounding like wood timbers cracking, and Lisbeth shuddered.

Nicholas the Renegade's four HP bars filled up, and its red eyes glowed. "Let's do this!" Kirito shouted.

The boss raised the massive one-handed axe over its head and howled a roar of challenge. The Royal Blades and Sinon answered the call with shouts of their own as they all rushed forward.

* * *

Leafa panted, holding her katana in front of her while she caught her breath. When she was able to breathe steadily - it didn't take too long, she was proud of that little fact - she straightened up and sheathed the blade back on her hip. That fight had gone really well! With seven of them, and as high as their levels were, the boss hadn't stood a chance at all! "Yeah!" she cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "We did it!"

"Good job!" Lisbeth said. She raised her hand for a high-five and Leafa didn't hesitate, slapping her palm against the pink-haired blacksmith's. It echoed with a crack in the night, only muffled by the falling snow.

"...Who got the drop?" Sinon asked quietly, her bow already hanging off of her back.

"I did," Silica said. "Um, here, Kirito." She opened her menu and pulled out the drop, and Leafa stared at the blue sphere. It was set in a golden filigree, and it fit perfectly even in Silica's hand.

Kirito accepted the rare item and tapped it to bring up the description. "The item can be activated on the player's shortcut menu or by holding the materialized item and uttering 'Revive ... [Player's Name]'. The effect will only work during the time frame between the death of the player and the disappearance of item's effect light, which is approximately ten seconds."

"No... Ten seconds...?"

The quiet whisper, surprising Leafa, came from Sinon. When Leafa turned to look at the archer, she'd gone incredibly pale. Leafa wasn't stupid, she'd figured out why Sinon had been trying to fight the boss, even to the point of soloing it. She was also pretty sure that the others had put two and two together, so it wasn't surprising when Lisbeth stepped forward. The blacksmith always was the best at talking to other people... "Hey, um... Are you okay?"

Sinon's mouth worked silently, her eyes laser-focused on the item glimmering in Kirito's hand. When she found her voice, it was to say, "I'm fine." Just that; just those two words. Somehow, Leafa didn't believe her - but Lisbeth chose to simply nod and step back. There was something cold and distant in Sinon's eyes, a look that Leafa didn't like seeing.

Judging by the way her big brother's mouth thinned a little bit, he didn't like it either. Still, he simply nodded and said, "Do you want the... Divine Stone of Returning Soul?"

"That's a mouthful," Argo muttered under her breath. Asuna jabbed her in the ribs with an elbow, hissing at her to read the mood.

"No... You can keep it," Sinon said. "Thanks for letting me join your party." She tugged her scarf up over her mouth and nose to protect them from the cold and turned away.

She got a few steps away before Kirito stepped forward. "Sinon," he called out. The girl stopped and looked over her shoulder, turning a little bit. "Hey... If you want, the Royal Blades is always accepting new members."

Leafa stared at Kirito in surprise. He was never one of the people interested with recruiting new members; he always left that to Argo or Lisbeth and simply gave a speech or two when they asked him. Heck, even when they'd _formed_ the guild he'd simply accepted when the girls told him he was going to be the guild leader. But here he was, offering membership to this girl that they'd only met a few times. Did... he know her from somewhere?

Sinon's eyes were wary, and she didn't answer for a few seconds. The snow fell softly between the Royal Blades and the archer, and then she turned around. "...No thanks," she said.

Kirito just smiled. "The offer's open at any time," he said. Sinon just turned and walked away, the glow of teleportation enveloping her as she disappeared from the field.

"Hey, Kii-boy, what was that all about?" Argo asked, poking the boy in the side. "Ya kept starin' at her, an' then ya asked her ta join the guild?"

"Yeah." Asuna folded her arms. "That's a little suspicious. _Staaaaaaaare..._ " She leveled her most powerful Stare at Kirito, and he blanched. That decided it, Leafa told herself, she was going to ask Asuna to teach her how to do that. Maybe it could be her Christmas present.

He managed to weather Asuna's stare for a few seconds, but Kirito eventually folded and said, "It's nothing, really. I was just impressed by the way she fought, that's all..."

That was true. Sinon's arrows had been incredibly precise all fight, even with six other players moving around. Leafa had lost count of the number of times she'd seen a flash of light over her shoulder or streaking past her head, but the arrows never came close to hitting her. With someone like that in the guild, they would be able to handle pretty much anything.

"Oh well," Kirito said. "She turned me down." He turned and smiled at the girls, and Leafa smiled back happily, her expression mirrored by the others. "Wanna go home?"

"Mmm, yeah." Lisbeth raised both arms in the air to stretch. Leafa did the same to work out a kink in her spine, and for some reason the blacksmith scowled for a second. "It's kinda late, huh?"

"Past your bedtime," Silica said, giggling.

"Wha- Hey, you're younger than me!"

"It's past _both_ your bedtimes," Asuna said. This time, both Lisbeth and Silica complained. Leafa giggled, then wondered something - wasn't Lisbeth the same age as Asuna? She'd mentioned it once.

Returning home was entirely uneventful, and they all collapsed on the couches and chair in the living room. It was way past midnight, but Leafa still wasn't tired; probably because they'd just finished fighting a boss, but she still felt wide-awake. She'd stayed up late often enough with her big brother that she knew that once the adrenaline wore off, she'd fall asleep almost instantly. "I just realized, it's technically Christmas," Kirito said.

Leafa grinned. "Then you're gonna give us presents now, right, Kazuto?"

"Well, I was going to give you your presents in the morning, but hang on a second..." Kirito swiped open his inventory and pulled out a box. "Here it is. I got something for you."

Asuna, sitting across from the kendo practitioner, raised a solemn eyebrow, and Leafa flinched at the sight of the ominous aura starting to emanate from her. "I-I was joking," she said. Her sheepish laugh seemed to placate Asuna, and the danger receded. "I'll wait until tomorrow morning..." Kirito just shrugged and put the box back in his inventory.

All at once, her exhaustion kicked in, and whatever she was going to say next was cut off by a large yawn that surprised her. "Maybe it's time for bed for you," Asuna said.

Leafa rubbed at her eyes, mumbling a sleepy agreement. "I'm going to bed," she said. "Good night, everyone. And merry Christmas too, I guess."

"Merry Christmas, Leafa," Lisbeth said. Silica was already lightly drowsing on the couch, but stirred enough to sit up and wave at her. Argo had already claimed a spot on Asuna's lap, the long-haired girl's fingers combing lightly through her messy hair, but the info broker grinned and said good night as well.

Kirito stood up as she walked over to him. "Merry Christmas, Sugu," he said, and Leafa smiled. "Good night. Sleep well, okay?"

"Okay!" Leafa hesitated for a second. In the end, on impulse, she said something that she'd later blame on the fact that she'd been up for way too late at that point:

"Don't I get a good night kiss?"

At least one of the girls sitting on the couches coughed in surprise. Leafa blinked, surprised that the words had come out of her mouth.

What was even _more_ surprising was her beloved big brother's response. "...Sure, I guess." Kirito leaned over and pressed his lips lightly to her cheek. Then he ruffled her hair. "Go get some rest."

The soft, warm touch of his lips burned on her skin like it'd been branded on there, and Leafa felt her entire face burst into flame. Almost immediately, she dashed up the stairs, hiding her face from Kirito and the others. Behind her, she could hear Lisbeth complain, "Hey! Asuna, what was that all about?"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with what just happened," Asuna replied. "It was just Kazuto showing Sugu how much he cared about her, that's all."

"Well, then, I want a good night kiss too!" Lisbeth said. "It's no fair if you give your sister special treatment!"

Any further discussion from the first floor was cut off as Leafa closed the door and practically dove for the bed, burying her face in the pillow. As her legs kicked in the air, she squealed into the pillow. H-H-H-He'd kissed her! On the cheek, sure, but her big brother had still kissed her!

She didn't even lift her head to get changed. She had her pajamas on a quick-change selection, so it only took a few button presses to switch to her comfy button-up shirt and pants. Face still buried in her pillow, Leafa squirmed under the covers and closed her eyes.

That night, Leafa fell asleep with the biggest smile on her face.

* * *

 **Oh, Asuna. You think the silliest things when it comes to Kazuto. Just having these dorks peep on Kirito's 'date' was fun enough, but then riding in Asuna's head… She's very innocent and pure on the surface, but quite the pervert in her head, isn't she; she'll blush bright red at anyone flirting with her, but** _ **she's**_ **the one who assumes that Kirito wants to have sex in canon. Right now, I have her personality about halfway between 'Innocent maiden' (from Progressive) and 'Assumes Kirito wants sexy times' (from late Aincrad).**

 **After that, Leafa and Lisbeth encounter Sinon! (Yes, it's been Sinon this whole time; no, nobody should be surprised by this.) She's just as driven as in canon, only this time she's doing her best to level up. And yes, Sinon's already been mentioned a few times before her 'official' appearance; you have the clues to figure out why Kirito finds her so familiar. I think… Check the first Black Cats appearance.**

 **Finally, Christmas Eve and Christmas. The Army comes to be jerks, told that there's a neat rare item by some joker in a black cloak. Wonder who that could be…? Good news, Kibaou's actually useful in this story, so he solves the problem before violence happens. Then Sinon joins the party temporarily. Don't you just hate temp party members in RPGs? Like 'Here's this awesome fighter, too bad she's leaving after this single boss fight'.**

 **And then Leafa gets her favorite Christmas present ever. Merry Christmas~.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or left a review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

 **February 3rd, 2024**

Of all the things Leafa expected to see when she walked downstairs that afternoon, Heathcliff sitting in the living room, casually sipping at a cup of steaming tea, wasn't one of them. She had to stop and rub at her eyes just to make sure she wasn't imagining things. After blinking a few times, she was forced to accept that yes, the leader of the Knights of the Blood was sitting on their couch. Kirito and Asuna were sitting on the couch opposite him, while Argo leaned deceptively casually against the doorframe, arms folded across her chest.

"What's going on?" she asked the info broker in a whisper, so as to not disturb the others.

Argo's eyes didn't leave the three players in front of her, but she replied, "Heathcliff jus' showed up. Said 'e's got some info we need ta hear."

"Oh," Leafa said. She took up a position next to Argo and stood patiently. It was almost like being back at the dojo back when she was little, watching her grandfather instruct Kazuto. "What about?"

"Dunno. A-chan jus' served the tea, they haven't talked 'bout anythin' yet."

Heathcliff placed his teacup back down on its saucer with a light _clink_. "Hello, Leafa," he said. Leafa waved back. "Will the rest of your inner circle be joining us, Kirito?"

"No," Kirito said. "Liz and Silica are busy. I think they're getting materials?"

Asuna nodded when he looked over at her. "They're on the 57th Floor, collecting ores for one of the orders Liz accepted. They should be back in about an hour or two."

"Ah." Heathcliff's expression didn't flicker, even as he sat back and clasped his hands in front of him. "In that case, I will get started immediately. I don't expect this to take too long." Leafa settled in, even as Argo snorted and muttered something under her breath about how that would be a first. Kirito glanced over his shoulder at her and she rolled her eyes subtly. Leafa tried not to smile. "Let me put all of my cards on the table. Earlier this week, a player sent a message to the Knights of the Blood through an information broker. The map data we were given, as well as the message relayed to us, gave us the location of Laughing Coffin's headquarters."

Argo swore under her breath, even as Asuna and Kirito inhaled sharply. Leafa's eyes widened at the news. "No freakin' way," Argo said out loud. "I've had my Mice been lookin' for 'em ever since they made their announcement. A whole month, an' nothin'."

Laughing Coffin... Just the name sent little shivers down Leafa's spine. They were a murder guild, full of red players - a term she'd heard Kirito and Asuna use to refer to any player that had earned a permanent yellow crystal by murdering another player in cold blood. They had announced their existence to the world on New Year's Day, just a month earlier, and made it clear that they were for hire. It was like a twisted version of the services Argo offered, she thought, only instead of information they sold death. Anyone with the col could hire the player killers to do pretty much anything at all, from simple theft to outright murder. They were led by a man who called himself PoH; he always wore a black poncho, so nobody could see his face. They had no idea what he looked like under there...

In a strange way, Laughing Coffin was like the opposite of the Knights of the Blood. They rallied around a charismatic leader that talked about an ideal - but where Heathcliff talked about the strength to support others, PoH kept going on about how strength meant that they could do what they wanted. As someone who'd been brought up to respect her strength and not use it to hurt others... That horrible, selfish way of thinking was totally bizarre to Leafa.

"How did you get hold of this information?" Asuna asked. Her eyes were sharp, boring straight at Heathcliff. "What player sent you the message? Has the map data been verified?"

Heathcliff shook his head. "I'm afraid the player sent the map data through anonymous channels. We don't even know their name, let alone how they managed to confirm that this was the hideout of Laughing Coffin. For obvious reasons, we weren't able to investigate the dungeon itself, but one of our members had explored it back when the Floor in question was considered part of the Front Lines. Nautilus's map data and the map data we've received match."

Kirito sat back against the couch. "I hope you'll understand if we want to confirm the data ourselves," he said. "This sort of thing... It just seems a little off, if you know what I mean."

"I do understand, but I'll have to request that you avoid going to the dungeon itself," Heathcliff replied.

Argo clicked her tongue. "Hey, if yer sayin' ya don't think I can handle it," she started.

"Of course not. Nobody would doubt the talents of the Royal Blades' Spymaster, Argo the Rat." Argo eyed Heathcliff dubiously, but Leafa saw her hackles fall back down. "It's simply that if our plan is to succeed, then we _must_ catch Laughing Coffin by surprise."

"Your plan?" Kirito asked. "Mind filling us in?"

Heathcliff smiled. "Certainly. That was my purpose for visiting, after all. It's fairly simple: the members of Laughing Coffin, according to the data we've received, are all going to be gathering back at their hideout in five days' time. Their numbers are less than a full raid party, and with our levels as Clearers, we should be more than capable of subduing the red players. It was my hope that the Royal Blades would be willing to participate in this crusade."

"Wait, we're attacking them?" Leafa exclaimed. "Shouldn't we try negotiating with them first?"

Heathcliff's expression didn't waver. "We have," he said. "The Knights of the Blood have attempted to send messengers to speak with them. Without fail, they have not returned."

"No..." Leafa whispered, her face pale. That was horrible!

"They will not stop," Heathcliff continued, inexorably. "As such, there is only one option left. The Knights of the Blood have decided by our council that we will be taking part in this mission, as will the DDA. We will only have this one chance before they go to ground forever. If that happens, they will continue assassinating Clearers, torturing the players attempting to complete SAO and -"

"That's enough, Heathcliff," Kirito said. He glanced back at Leafa, and she tried to smile at him. Still, the things Heathcliff was saying... it was enough to make her feel sick to her stomach. Argo leaned over and started rubbing a soothing hand on Leafa's back, and the younger Kirigaya gave the info broker a grateful smile. "You've made your point."

Asuna's eyes narrowed. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to frighten my friends in an attempt to get your way." Her voice was colder than the February weather.

"My apologies."

After a second of staring into space and resting his chin on his hands, Kirito let out a heavy sigh. "Alright," he said. "I'll talk things over with the others when they're back. If it's unanimous, we'll join your crusade against the player killers."

Heathcliff nodded and stood up. "Very well, Kirito," he said. "Please, send me a message once you've decided. I'll be waiting."

Asuna and Kirito escorted Heathcliff to the door, while Leafa took a seat on the couch. Argo sat next to her, gently patting Leafa's hand to keep her mind off of what Heathcliff had been telling them. Eventually, she let out a sad sigh and leaned over, seeking comfort against Argo. The short info broker wasn't her brother, but she was still a good friend. "It's okay," Argo said quietly. "We're gonna stop 'em, you'll see."

"We have to fight." It wasn't a question. "We have to fight each other because they won't stop if we don't."

"Yeah... Looks like the LC goons only care 'bout strength. Pretty sure we're over their level, so we gotta do _somethin'_."

Kirito and Asuna came back; Asuna immediately sat down on the other side of Leafa, half-cuddling the younger Kirigaya sibling. "Are you doing okay, Sugu?" she asked. Her fingers combed through Leafa's short hair, a soothing feeling.

"I'll be okay," she replied.

"Argo," Kirito said, and the info broker perked up. "Do you mind getting in touch with your contacts? I think we'll need to confirm what we can about the information and get a copy of it ourselves."

"Sure thing, Kii-boy. When're Silica an' Liz due back?"

"Right now! We're home, everyone." Lisbeth's cheerful echoed as she and the little Dragon Tamer walked into the living room. A little snow had collected on Lisbeth's pink hair, and Leafa giggled to herself as it slid backwards and fell down her neck. "Eek! Cold!"

"Welcome home," Asuna said. "You're home earlier than we expected."

"We got really lucky," Silica said. "The first deposit gave us almost everything we needed, so we finished really early."

Lisbeth grinned. "Yeah. I'm gonna have to go back there tomorrow and see if I can get any more, that place was great for getting a lot of ore quick. Maybe I'll make a few weapons and sell them to Agil for some col."

"I'll go get us some hot chocolate," Asuna said.

"That'd be great, Asuna," Lisbeth said. A knowing, slightly smug grin stretched across her face. "What a wonderful housewife. I'm sure Kirito will be thrilled!"

"Liz, don't tease me like that," Asuna protested, going red. The others all giggled.

Kirito nodded seriously. "She'll make a fantastic wife," he said.

Immediately, every girl gaped at him in surprise. Sure, Leafa knew her big brother was dense, but _that_ dense?! He didn't even seem to realize what he'd said! "Wh-wh-wh-why would you say that?" Asuna stammered, her eyes swirling. Her hands tugged at her long hair, gathering it in her hands as she fiddled with the ends. As red as she was, Leafa was reminded of the days back when her friend would be able to just pull her hood up and hide her embarrassment in that. Now, though, Asuna just had to show off how cute she was to everyone. "A-A-Anyway I'm going to the kitchen!"

The long-haired girl disappeared through the curtain separating the kitchen and living room. "She fled," Lisbeth said.

"She ran," Silica nodded.

"Yep, totally booked it," Argo shrugged.

Leafa sighed. "Asuna, really..."

"What's going on?" Kirito asked blankly.

The girls exchanged a glance. 'And then there's this doofus', the glance seemed to say. "Don't worry 'bout it, Kii-boy," Argo said. "Any~way, I'm gonna go start sendin' messages out. Lemme know what you all decide, eh? I'll go along with whatever th' rest 'a ya wanna do."

The info broker got up and disappeared upstairs. Lisbeth took her seat and Silica sat on the other couch, while Kirito kicked back in his usual recliner. "What's going on?" Lisbeth asked. "We passed Heathcliff on the way home, what'd he want?"

"Well," Kirito said with a sigh, "here's the thing..."

The explanation was pretty quick; Lisbeth and Silica hadn't been present for the discussion, but Laughing Coffin had become so infamous that everyone knew the stories. It didn't take long for the two girls to get caught up on the full details and what Heathcliff had proposed.

Lisbeth folded her arms and sighed heavily before leaning forward to pick up the mug of hot chocolate Asuna had delivered. "This sucks," she muttered. "But... we've gotta help them out, right? If this is something we can do, we have to, right?"

"That's what I was thinking," Kirito said. "We have a responsibility to help people, and that means we need to stop Laughing Coffin. They've already killed over a hundred people. We can't let them continue keep doing whatever they want."

"Silica? What do you think?" Asuna asked. Leafa blinked as she realized that Pina was quietly accepting idle pets from the long-haired girl. When did the little dragon accept her? she wondered.

The young twin-tailed girl drew her knees up to her chest. "It sounds really scary," she said. "And I wish we didn't have to do this. But they're awful people. They're hurting and killing other players, so we have to stop them."

Kirito sighed and stood up from his rocking chair. "Well... I guess we're all agreed, then," he said. "I'll let Heathcliff know we'll be joining in his raid party."

...

 **February 6th, 2024**

"Ka-zu-to!" Leafa chirped happily as she wrapped her arms around her beloved big brother. He was sitting in his chair, staring at his menu, but when she hugged him from behind he turned around to grin at her. "Hi."

"Hey, Leafa," he said. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. I talked to Liz earlier, she said she'll be free to make the armor once I find something like at Ashley's."

Kirito stood up, and Leafa awkwardly shuffled around so that she could keep hugging him. "Uh, Leafa..."

"Hmm-hmm," she giggled, smiling. She got to go out with her bro~ther, she got to go out with her bro~ther, she got to go out with her bro~ther! "Yeah?"

"It'll be kinda hard to walk around like this."

"...Aw, fine," she said. Her Kazutonium batteries had recharged anyway, so she didn't mind letting go. When she did he reached out to ruffle her hair, though for some reason he didn't look directly at her. "I'm glad you agreed to come along with me, Kazuto."

He shrugged. "I don't mind, even if shopping for clothes is a bit, uh... You're sure you don't want Asuna or Argo to go with you instead? They'd know more about fashion and what looks good."

Leafa shook her head. "Nope, it has to be you! Besides, Asuna is busy preparing with the other guilds for the raid, and Argo's still trying to find out more about the Laughing Coffin members."

"Oh, alright," Kirito sighed, and Leafa grinned smugly. Once more she'd won the battle for his attention! She loved the others, but at the same time it _was_ a little weird not being the only one around him most of the time.

It was a nice day for walking around, and Leafa enjoyed the stroll to Ashley's shop. It was cool out, yeah, but she was wearing a nice scarf and some warm mittens, so she wasn't really all that cold. Kirito seemed similarly unaffected by the cold, even though his ears were exposed to the elements.

When they entered the shop, Ashley was already waiting for them, her ornate cigarette holder in her hand. "Ah, right on time," she said. "How are you siblings doing?"

"We're doing fine, Ashley," Kirito said. "Leafa here is ready for upgrading her armor, that's all."

"Of course, of course," Ashley said. "Well then, no sense standing around and doing nothing. Kirito, you can wait out here, I'll need to bring my subject to the back to work. Feel free to look around, perhaps try anything on if that's to your tastes..."

Leafa giggled as her big brother gave Ashley a flat look. Everything the woman made for sale, out on the floor, was elegant women's clothing; things like casual skirts and dresses, frilly blouses, underwear, all sorts of things that Asuna adored both wearing and making the other girls wear. Despite the way her brother looked just a little effeminate, and how he _did_ look good when they managed to get him into a dress and makeup, he didn't wear that sort of thing from day to day.

Once she followed Ashley into the back room, the older woman's motherly demeanor turned strictly personal. "Alright, I created several options, since you weren't quite sure what you wanted," the seamstress said. "Try this one on first."

Leafa accepted the bundle of clothes and quickly equipped them. It was a lot easier than trying things on in the real world, she thought idly as the new cloth settled around her. Plus, this was sized for her. A lot of the stuff she and Asuna had found in malls was tight around the chest...

"Hmm." Ashley hummed as she paced around Leafa, adjusting the way her belt sat. "Well, what do you think?"

Leafa stared at the mirror, placing one hand on her hip and using the other hand to lift the side of the skirt. It was more like a cape to cover her back, since it left her legs exposed to reveal the stockings she wore. "I don't know," she said, reaching up to brush a finger over the sword-shaped hairclips that had replaced her usual ones. "It's nice, but I'm not sure about the blue..." It was a lovely sapphire blue color, and the top definitely flattered her, but she felt like it just wasn't for her.

"Not a problem at all," Ashley assured her. "The other two are in that emerald green you love. Go ahead and try on the second one. It might make it difficult for the boys to keep their eyes off of you."

Well, she really only wanted _one_ boy's attention. Still, when she equipped this set of clothes, she could see why Ashley was teasing her like that. "Ooh," she gasped. The bodice only covered the most important bits, leaving almost all of her upper torso exposed. The detached sleeves and long skirt that went down to her knee reminded her a little bit of the old pictures of samurai. "I kinda like this." She swished the skirt. "Can I show Kazuto?"

"By all means, go right ahead."

She smiled and opened the door, poking her head out. "Kazuto, can you come take a look?"

Kirito looked over from where he was deep in his menu. "Coming," he called back.

He slipped into the changing room, and Leafa was really proud of the way he came to a dead stop. "Well, Kazuto?" she asked. "How do I look?"

Kirito's eyes were wide as he stared at her outfit. "You... That's..."

"Yeah?"

"No way," he said flatly. Leafa slumped a little bit. Denied immediately! "That's _way_ too revealing."

"Wha- but Argo-"

Kirito folded his arms, and Leafa already knew what his response was going to be. "Argo's not my little -"

"Then what if I _wasn't_ your little sister?" Leafa demanded. Kirito paled for a second before he shook his head. "For a second, pretend we're not brother and sister. What would you think of this outfit then, if you looked at me like I was a woman?"

"L-Leafa-"

" _Please..._ " She didn't want to beg, but this was really important to her that she get through to him. She didn't want him to always consider her something to be protected, a valuable commodity. She wanted him to value her the same way he valued Asuna, or Argo or Liz or Silica.

Kirito watched her for a second, before he reached out and placed his hand on her head. "Sorry, Sugu," he murmured. "I'm being really unfair to you right now, huh?"

"A little bit..."

"Alright." He stopped patting her head and took a second look at the clothes she was wearing. Finally, he shook his head. "I still don't think it's a good fit for you, Leafa. The dress might get in the way of your movement, and those sleeves can cost you a second if they get in the way while you're trying to draw your katana."

...He's right, Leafa realized. Even without thinking of her like she was his sister, Kirito had pointed out a few flaws with the design. With a huff, she swiped open her menu and tapped at the equipment to remove it. "Fine," she muttered - before realizing right as the clothes vanished that she hadn't replaced it with anything else. Her bra and panties, therefore, were on full display for her big brother's watchful eye.

He immediately turned around and stared at the door. "D...Did you see?" Leafa demanded, mortified. Her whole body burned with embarrassment, and Ashley smiling nearby wasn't helping things at all!

"I didn't see anything!" Kirito yelped.

"Liar! You definitely saw my-my-my..." Leafa couldn't even say the words. "You have to take responsibility," she muttered.

"Just get dressed, please," Kirito begged her.

Ashley, still laughing to herself at the antics of the siblings, handed Leafa the third set of clothing she'd prepared. "Here you are, Leafa. Do try to avoid flashing your brother again, though, hm?"

Leafa could only let out a wordless mumble. She couldn't find any words to get through how totally red-faced she was.

When she was finally wearing the final outfit, she spun around to look at herself in the mirror. "Ah, this is really pretty," she said. It resembled the clothes she would wear to practice kendo in their dojo, except with a green coat that covered her back. The sleeves were long and silky, and the gold trimming decorated the sleeves and neck. "It's cute!" The flowing skirt was leaf-green, and left a little tiny bit of her upper thigh exposed.

"I had a feeling you'd like that one," Ashley said. "And what do you think, Kirito?"

Kirito turned around cautiously and then studied his little sister, cupping his chin. Leafa fidgeted under the intensity of his stare. Eventually, he nodded. "Yeah, it looks great, Leafa. Once we get Liz to make some armor that fits it, you'll look amazing."

"Really?" Leafa brightened up at his second nod. "Then this is the one I'll take."

Ashley ushered the two of them back into the shop proper so that Leafa could purchase the clothes. Once the transaction was completed, she waved goodbye to them as they left the shop.

"I'm surprised you wanted to get that other set," Kirito said idly. "I thought you liked the cute look. That's what you always told Asuna back when she was trying to get you to buy clothes in the real world."

Leafa huffed and looked away, pouting a little bit. "Yeah, well, Silica's got that on lockdown," she muttered petulantly. "So I'm branching out."

"Well, you'll always be special to me," he said. "...But I'm glad you're my sister. Things wouldn't be the same without you by my side, you know?"

Leafa stared at his back in surprise, and then a happy smile spread across her face. "I'm glad you're my brother, Kazuto!" That happy smile didn't disappear the entire way home. Her wish, that one she'd made on the shooting stars... 'I wish to always be with the big brother that I love.'

It was definitely going to come true.

...

 **February 8th, 2024**

"I still don't like this, Kii-boy," Argo said, fingers tangled in her scarf. She was fidgeting with it constantly, playing with the tassels on the end. Leafa was pretty sure it was just because she had nothing else to do. "I was able ta confirm the levels from th' info the KoB got, but the rest of it's unconfirmed."

Kirito looked at her. "Do you want me to message Heathcliff and tell him we won't go?"

"Nah, not _that_ bad a feelin', it's just..." Argo trailed off, and then sighed. "Ya ever get the feelin' yer bein' played?"

"How long have I known you?"

"Shush, ya flatterer." Argo grinned, the expression flashing across her face before it disappeared again. "Th' info had ta come from someone inside Laughin' Coffin, but no matter how we looked, none of m' Mice could find anythin' out. 'S like..." She trailed off again and clenched her fingers in the air. "Blehh, can't find the words."

Leafa clapped a fist in her palm. "Oh, I get it," she said. "Like how sometimes I know that one of my kendo opponents is about to attack, but I don't know _why_ I know that."

"Yeah, what Leafa said," Argo shrugged. "'S that sixth sense thing 'a yers, Kii-boy."

Kirito nodded. "So... What do you think we do?"

"Go there early."

The rest of the Royal Blades looked at Asuna, where the long-haired girl had cupped her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "Huh?" Lisbeth asked.

"We attack the dungeon early," she said, pointing to the map. They'd spread it out over the living room table. "According to Heathcliff, the raid party will be gathering in an hour and then attacking the dungeon all at once. If we go there ahead of time, we might be able to catch _someone_ by surprise."

Leafa wasn't sure why Asuna wanted to go early, or catch someone by surprise, but Argo swore loudly. "Yer thinkin' this's a trap, A-chan?" she asked.

"Language, Argo. But yes. It would explain why you couldn't find anything to verify the information they've been given," Asuna said. "I don't doubt that it's true, but if whoever sent in the information is trying to lead us into a trap..."

"...Then they have some sort of way to know what's goin' on with the clearers," Argo said in a low hiss. " _Someone's_ leakin' information, or at the very least they've been compromised."

Asuna nodded. "I don't think anyone from the front lines would leak information to Laughing Coffin," she said. "But I agree. There's something that doesn't add up unless you assume that the enemy knows what we're going to do."

"So we're going to attack earlier than the agreed time?" Leafa asked.

Asuna nodded. She wasn't smiling; this was the face of the Lightning Flash, the second-in-command of the Royal Blades. "Exactly."

It had been a while since the Royal Blades were down on the lower Floors; the enemies were just too weak to give more than a single point of EXP anymore. It was nice to go back and sight-see, though. Unfortunately, the Royal Blades were moving with purpose, totally ignoring the beautiful scenery passing them by. They weren't _quite_ moving at full speed, but it wasn't a leisurely stroll either.

"We're almost there," Argo said. "'Bout thirty seconds 'til we're at the dungeon entrance. I'm sendin' the KoB a message now, not gonna be able ta do that in the dungeon itself."

"Alright," Asuna said. "Everyone ready?" Leafa and the others chorused in reply. "Let's go!"

When they arrived at the entrance to the dungeon, Leafa could only marvel at how unassuming it was. It was just a simple entrance to some ruins; admittedly decrepit, with rubble cluttering the doorway, but it was still a rectangular entrance. There wasn't even a sign that this place was home to the most dangerous group of killers in the game! They plunged into the darkness without a second thought, hurrying through the halls.

The low-level dungeon really was no problem for them at this point. They needed to focus on speed, which meant that they ended up running past most of the mobs that filled the halls; when they couldn't avoid fighting, the six players descended on the mobs and slaughtered them without hesitation, determination clear on everyone's faces. The hardest part, and the most dangerous, was the moving platforms of stone that acted as natural gates on their progress. Every time they had to wait for the slabs to ferry them across the bottomless pits, Leafa couldn't stop herself from fidgeting impatiently.

It only took them five minutes to reach the hallway that led to the Safe Zone that Laughing Coffin used as a base. All they had to do was ride a few stone elevators and they'd be right there. However, instead of attacking Laughing Coffin by themselves like Leafa half-expected, Kirito and Argo guided them towards one of the stone platforms to the side that lifted them high in the air. "Where are we going?" Silica asked.

"If someone really is trying to set up a trap, then they're going to want to watch what happens," Kirito said grimly. Leafa wasn't used to this side of her big brother. She wasn't sure she liked it. "And the place with the best vantage point is in this passage right here. See?"

He gestured over the side of the platform. Leafa peeked over the edge; sure enough, a wide platform was almost directly below. From the angle they were watching, someone below would have to look almost directly up to even have a chance at spotting a watcher. "It makes sense," Asuna said. "Whoever would be cruel enough to be part of Laughing Coffin would definitely want to watch us fight their guildmates."

"'Xactly." Argo started pacing back and forth, prowling around the edge of the platform. "An' that's why we're waitin' up here. It's the most likely spot for the traitor ta show up."

Leafa felt her body urge her to move. It was the same kind of itch she had when she hadn't practiced kendo for a while, where she felt like there was too much energy for her body to handle; or when she was in the middle of a battle, and she would charge the enemy fearlessly. Instead of fidgeting or swinging her sword or doing anything reckless, Leafa forced herself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. She couldn't risk this by being impatient.

She was rewarded for her self-control by Argo stiffening less than a minute later. "Someone's comin'," the info broker hissed. The Royal Blades gathered themselves and stood ready, preparing to attack.

The first thing Leafa saw was a black-cloaked figure, the crystal over their head a clear orange color. She tightened her grip on her katana, preparing for combat as the Laughing Coffin player stepped forward. Then Leafa sucked in a surprised breath at the sight of a cleaver-like weapon hanging from his hip. There was no way to mistake the player they were staring at.

"Aw, fuck," Argo said in a quiet voice.

This was the first time Leafa or any of the others had ever seen PoH up close. She was almost surprised to realize that he had a foreign, handsome look to his face, with thick wavy black hair and what looked like a tattoo on his right cheek. The leader of Laughing Coffin regarded the six players spread out in front of him, not moving. Finally, he said, "Ah... Hey there, Blackie! And the Flash, and Greenie... Ooh, is this everyone in the Royal Blades?"

The cheerful tone in his voice was absolutely disgusting to Leafa. "You're... PoH," Asuna said. Her eyes had widened. "You? You're the one who leaked the location of Laughing Coffin's hidden base?"

"That's right," he said. Leafa shivered. His voice was way too enthusiastic for an unrepentant murderer.

"Why?" Lisbeth asked. Her voice came out strangled. "Why would you _do_ this?"

PoH spread his arms. "Well, why not? It was going to be hilarious!" He pointed at the Royal Blades, sweeping from right to left until his finger landed on Kirito. "I'd finally be able to make all of you murderers! Especially _you_ , Blackie. Man, it was going to be amazing, watching you Progressors fight and struggle against Laughing Coffin... Oh?"

The leader of Laughing Coffin paused, turning his hooded head. A commotion had started below them, where the subjugation force led by Godfree of the Knights of the Blood had finally arrived. The Laughing Coffin ambush had been sprung. Leafa watched the two forces clash, their Sword Skills lighting up in multicolored flashes, before she turned back to PoH. "Yeah, sorry," Argo said. Her grin was sharp. "Guess we kinda screwed up yer plans, huh? Whoops. Our bad."

"Tch." PoH clicked his tongue. "Preparing this little feast took fucking _forever_ , you know that? I had to get the KoB to listen, wait for you to finish sniffing around, then time the warning I sent to LC for the very last moment so they could prepare but not escape. It would've been a great show!"

"You're a monster," Silica whispered.

"Hmm?" PoH looked at her. "Well, not like it matters anymore. You'd better hurry, if you want to help out your friends down there. They're starting to struggle a little bit. Looks like without you guys, they're aaaall talk." He grinned at them before pulling out an Escape Crystal that would lead him directly out of the dungeon. "So long, 'heroes' -"

A glowing pick smashed into his hand, knocking the crystal away and over the side of the platform. As the Escape Crystal tumbled into the pit below, PoH slowly lowered his hand to stare at Argo. "Not happening, PoH," Kirito said. "We're taking you down."

"Tch." PoH clicked his tongue again. "Well then. _Fuck_ taking the easy way out." He drew the cleaver-like dagger hanging from his hip. "So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to kill all of you, then I'm going to go down and kill the rest. Except you, Blackie," he said, pointing the dagger at Kirito. "You, I'm going to paralyze. That way, I can make you _watch_."

Leafa didn't even have time to register what he'd said before PoH lunged forward, the ragged ends of his black cloak flapping as he closed the distance between him and the Royal Blades. Silica raised her shield to meet him even as his glowing blade sliced out, slamming into the shield. The steel sparked, and PoH reeled backwards before spinning and cutting out again. Silica's shield wouldn't be able to move to block, but Leafa knew the young girl wore heavy armor for exactly that reason -

"Aah!" Silica cried out in surprise more than pain as a large red gash opened up on her arm. "O-ow!"

PoH cackled as he jumped back. With a shout, Asuna flashed forward and thrust, her Quadruple Pain stabbing at PoH's body. He ducked and dodged out of the way, parrying the last of the four thrusts with his dagger. "What did you do to her?!" Asuna demanded, even as she dropped and kicked out with a leg sweep.

"Like it?" PoH called as he jumped over her leg. He landed a few steps away and brandished his weapon. "The Mate Chopper is such a great weapon! It gets stronger the more humans, the more players I kill. Plus, it'll go straight through all that armor the shrimp is wearing. It's a neat effect, don't ya think?" He grinned. Leafa gritted her teeth. "I love the look in players' eyes when they realize all that fancy equipment isn't worth shit."

"Bastard!" Argo hissed, springing at him. Her claws flashed, but PoH was able to lean out of the way. She still managed to slash his cloak, ripping it to shreds as she passed - but she was stuck in the post-Sword Skill delay, so PoH was free to slam his boots into her side in a savage kick. With a cry, the Rat crashed to the ground and tumbled uncontrollably.

Leafa's heart leapt into her throat when the cloaked info broker rolled one too many times and tipped over the edge of the platform. "Argo!" Kirito shouted, somehow managing to sheath one of his swords and race over to catch her in time. He had to dive, but he caught her hand just in time.

"You're wide open!" PoH exclaimed, raising the Mate Chopper over his head and plunging it down at Kirito's unprotected back. The leader of the Royal Swords gritted his teeth; if he let go, Argo would fall.

Before the glowing blade could slam into Kirito's back, it was blocked by the blade of a katana. "Get away from my brother!" Leafa shouted as she clashed with PoH, sparks flying from the clashing weapons. She just had to hold on a little... while... longer...!

PoH's Sword Skill faded away, but Leafa's kept going, and her two-hit Sword Skill continued. Her thrust turned into a slash that cut across his chest, slicing through his thin leather armor. PoH jumped away, but she'd finally managed to land a blow. She stood over Kirito, automatically assuming a protective stance as he worked on pulling Argo up. Lisbeth hurried over and lied down on her stomach as well to help rescue the info broker.

Unconsciously, Leafa took a traditional kendo stance, ready and waiting for PoH to make a move. Instead, he just sneered. "It's people like you that piss me off the most," he said. "You think you're being some sort of hero, when all you're doing is posing and hoping for attention."

"Try me," Leafa said.

PoH dashed forward, weapon sweeping up from the side, and Leafa simply stepped forward. Her katana flashed out, just like she'd drilled until it was automatic, and smashed his Mate Chopper down before slashing across his chest. She shouted and kept up the attack like she was in the kendo matches.

PoH didn't retreat like she'd expected, however; he grunted and ducked down, faster than she was expecting. With a wild, bloodthirsty grin on his face, his cleaver carved a line of red across her arm. Leafa gritted her teeth and swung again, a picture-perfect kendo swing, but PoH was able to lean back further than any human could in real life. The edge of her katana passed over his face, and he swung again to leave another gash along Leafa's side.

She stepped back and brought her sword back to guard, panting. She wasn't out of breath; instead, her heart pounded in her chest like a jackhammer. That was the difference between her and PoH, she realized. She was technically skilled. Better than he was, when it came to fighting. But she'd never fought another player with the intent to kill; even when she'd dueled, in practice against Kirito and Asuna or for real, like that fight against Godfree, she'd known that the other person would only go down to yellow at the worst.

Sweat flew from her forehead and bangs as PoH attacked and she countered, matching all of his slashes perfectly. Any time she tried to attack, though, he would be able to slip past her attack and whittle away another sliver of her health. Red lines crisscrossed her body; she'd been able to keep him from landing any fatal blows, but she couldn't actually hit him at all. "What's wrong, hero?!" PoH taunted. "I'm going to cut you to pieces!"

"No you won't!"

A shooting star flew in from the side, and a tired smile spread on Leafa's lips. "Asuna!" she cried.

The long-haired girl's rapier flashed out, looking like the lightning strikes that had given her one of her names, and PoH's health plummeted as he suffered the quick thrusts. He managed to jump away, but his health dropped into the low yellow.

Everyone froze, standing still. Leafa and Asuna caught their breath; behind them, Argo scrambled back onto the platform, shivering, and sat on the ground. "I've gotta say," PoH said, "I didn't expect this much trouble." He glanced at the red slashes Asuna and Leafa had left behind. "You're even more fun than I expected, Blackie!"

"Why?" Kirito demanded. "Why me? What's so important about me?"

PoH stared at him, grinning like the madman he was. "You're the only one I can trust! It's because you've never failed to disappoint me, no matter how hard I tried. Spreading rumors about a fake logout zone, getting people to hate beta testers, paying info broker to lie about anything I wanted, I tried everything."

"That was you?" Argo growled.

"At first it was just to have fun," PoH admitted callously, "but then you kept stopping my plans. No matter what, you'd always always always pull through without so much as flinching! So I thought, maybe getting you to kill people would do it. Maybe that would finally break you. But now you managed to squeak out of that one too!"

"You're crazy," Lisbeth shouted.

PoH didn't so much as look at her. He just sneered and raised his cleaver. "This show isn't _ever_ going to stop!"

He swept out his cleaver in a heavy downwards swing, but Lisbeth stepped forward and blocked the blow with her buckler. "Liz, be careful!" Asuna shouted.

"As long as I block it, I'm fine!" she called back. "Just get this guy!"

PoH snarled and kicked her, slamming his boot into her stomach. Lisbeth coughed and doubled over, crumpling to the ground. Before he could attack the vulnerable girl, though, Asuna stepped forward with a flourish of her rapier. She drove her right hand forward, stabbing toward PoH's vulnerable head; his eyes widened and he ducked out of the way, leaving behind a severed lock of black hair and a spray of red polygons where the tip of her rapier had sliced his cheek.

Kirito didn't even have to shout out the word 'Switch' for everyone in the Royal Blades to know he was about to attack. Leafa didn't even flinch when he jumped from behind her, slamming his swords down in a double overhead slash. PoH was able to block the strike somehow, bracing his cleaver with both hands, but after a second the clashed weapons let out an explosive shower of sparks and inched closer to PoH.

He spun to the side, letting Kirito crash to the ground, but before he could attack the vulnerable boy Leafa swept in with a heavy slash. It sliced deep into his leg and she pulled, ripping the blade free to widen the gash she left behind.

The Royal Blades backed off a bit as PoH's health finally dipped into the red. His eyes swept across all of them and he grinned. "What's wrong? Not gonna come at me like your life depends on it? You'd _better_!"

He swung his cleaver in a gleaming arc, and Leafa fell back. When he swung again, Silica blocked it, but didn't retaliate even after he was wide open. They all knew that if they struck too hard, or accidentally got a crit, they'd...

"Just give up, PoH!" Kirito shouted. "This is over, we've won!"

"Not yet," PoH replied. "And take a look down there, too. Your buddies are in some trouble! Gotta say, it's great to hear their screams. Better hurry if you want to save them, Black Swordsman!"

Kirito gritted his teeth so hard Leafa wondered if they would crack. She couldn't blame him. They were so close... So close and he was going to get away because they couldn't just leave those players to die! "Ya bastard," Argo growled, her fingers twitching.

"Kyahaha!" PoH let out a guffaw, actually leaning back. "Oh, that's rich! No way, Black Swordsman, this isn't the end at all! If you don't want me running free, then you'd better kill me right here and right now!"

He raised the demonic Mate Chopper over his head, and Leafa centered herself, preparing to counter any attack that came for her or one of the others -

 _Ping!_

\- when a glowing blur flashed by her head and slammed into the center of PoH's weapon. The throwing pick shattered, but it had done its job; the Mate Chopper rocked in his hand and then almost gracefully it popped free and spun through the air, flying over the edge.

"Motherfucker!" PoH cursed. Naturally, his head turned to follow the motion of his weapon.

Looking back on the fight, Leafa wasn't able to figure out exactly when she'd started moving, but by the time his head had turned she was already halfway towards him. Her sword slashed out and cut straight through PoH's waist, leaving a red line bisecting him. She straightened up and flicked her blade to the side, just like she'd seen her kendo teacher do, and then sheathed the blade.

Behind her, PoH crumpled to the ground, paralyzed. His HP was down to the last sliver; the Sword Skill she used couldn't kill, but it had a nearly-guaranteed paralysis effect on low HP. It was circumstantial at best, and she'd never really used it before, but she was definitely glad for the long practice she'd put in with Kirito.

"Asuna, Argo, Lisbeth, come with me," Kirito shouted, already running for the stone elevator that would lead them to the fighting below. "Silica, Leafa, make sure PoH's tied up. Once we're finished down there, bring him down so we can send him to prison with the others."

"Right," Silica said, rope to secure their captive already in her hands.

Leafa started to walk towards Kirito. "I'll come with you -"

"No," Kirito barked. He didn't look at her. "Stay here with Silica, just in case."

"O-Okay," Leafa murmured. That was the first time her big brother had ever said she couldn't go with him... Why? Had she pushed him too far one too many times? Was she -

Argo smacked her on the back as she passed, jolting Leafa from her thoughts. "Good job, Leafa," Argo said. "An' don't worry 'bout what yer big bro said, he jus' doesn't want ya ta be in any danger. Let's go, A-chan."

Leafa stared at the info broker until the four of them disappeared down the elevator. It really was weird how she always knew what everyone was thinking, wasn't it? D-D-Did she know about her feelings for - "Leafa!" Silica wailed. "Help me!"

"Coming!" Leafa put the thought of Argo knowing about her feelings for her brother aside and hurried to help Silica tie up PoH as securely as possible.

* * *

 _Kirito swung his sword, slashing across a man wearing a ragged green cloak. Even as he fell back, Kirito turned to counter another killer's overhead smash and blocked the heavy mace. As soon as he could, he kicked up with Crescent Moon, slamming his foot into the man's chin._

 _"Kirito!" Asuna cried. Kirito whirled and saw that a member of Laughing Coffin had her at daggerpoint, and was about to thrust forward._

 _"No!" he shouted. He tried to run and get her out of the way, but he couldn't move. Desperately, he drew his sword back to use Vorpal Strike, if only to cover ground - and then the man was right in front of him, directly in the path. Kirito's Sword Skill killed him instantly, boring a hole through his heart._

 _"Kirito!" Leafa cried. Kirito turned and slashed with his Burning Heart. The edge sliced into the shoulder of a Laughing Coffin member about to cut his sister in half. It left a long gouge across his chest, and killed the red player._

 _"Kirito!" Argo cried. Kirito turned and used Snake Bite to break a killer's weapon. It shattered on the first blow and the second hit of the Sword Skill cut through the ribs._

 _"Kirito!" Silica and Leafa cried. He activated one of his Dual Blades Sword Skills, Depth Impact. The combo sliced red lines across the two Laughing Coffin players threatening his girls; before it was finished, the killers had both died._

 _Kirito staggered back, shaking his head. This wasn't... This wasn't right._

 _"Isn't it great, Blackie?!" PoH was standing beside him, grinning widely like he'd just won the lottery. "You turned into a real PKer, didn't you!"_

 _"That's not..."_

 _Despite Kirito's stammered protests, the five players he'd just killed stood in front of him, their wounds still bright red. Kirito tried to get away, but PoH was behind him, stopping him from fleeing. "Take a good look," PoH hissed. "And let me see the expression on your face."_

 _This wasn't what happened at all! He had only fought and killed three of them, because they wouldn't surrender and give up. He didn't_ want _to kill them. PoH walked around him, and Kirito realized the leader of Laughing Coffin had a face identical to his own-_

...

Kirito gasped as he bolted up and panted for breath. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was safe in his bed and that there weren't any wraiths surrounding him. PoH was still in jail, and didn't resemble Kirito in the slightest. Once his breathing calmed down, he climbed out of bed and went to the kitchen. Water, he thought. He needed something to drink.

He staggered down the hall, resting his hand on the wall, just in case. It didn't feel like he was going to topple over, but every now and then the memory from that all-too-real dream would flicker through his mind again and his knees would tremble. He glanced at the time in his HUD: just after midnight. Everyone else was asleep. As he walked through the silent house, Kirito peeked into all of the rooms, just to make sure that they were actually there. Asuna and Leafa were fast asleep, curled up facing each other; Lisbeth and Argo likewise, though the pink-haired blacksmith had sprawled out, limbs going in every direction, while the info broker curled up into a tight little ball. Silica... Kirito hid a smile at the sight of the girl using Pina as a pillow. The poor dragon's feathers were getting rumpled and probably a little wet from the drool that was leaking from her mouth.

The sight of his guild members made something in his heart relax a little bit, banishing just a little bit more of the nightmare. Closing the door behind him, Kirito left Silica to her sleep and made his way downstairs to the kitchen to get himself something to drink. There wasn't any tea, hot coffee, or chocolate prepared, so he just poured himself a mug of water from the ice box. It was cool and crisp, and reminded him of the lake that was a five-minute walk down the forest path.

Sipping at the mug until it was empty, he wandered outside and leaned against the patio railing, staring up at the night sky. The stars were beautiful, and he did his best to lose himself in the glimmering points of light...

 _"Isn't it great, Blackie?!" PoH was standing beside him, grinning widely like he'd just won the lottery. "You turned into a real PKer, didn't you!"_

Kirito shivered as a cold gust of wind broke him from the flash of the nightmare. Before he could turn to head inside, though, a blanket settled over his shoulders. "Couldn't sleep?" Asuna asked gently, rubbing his back.

"Yeah. ...Thought I'd come out and look at the stars," he said. Asuna simply nodded and kept rubbing his back. Just her presence alone helped calm him down, relaxing whatever had tightened inside his chest. It felt easier to breathe, and he felt his eyelids start to droop. "...It was a nightmare," he admitted quietly, and Asuna immediately gave him a hug. Her body was soft against his back, and he could almost imagine he smelled the soap she'd used that night.

"About PoH?"

"About... the Laughing Coffin fight," he said. "And what I... did."

Asuna didn't reply for a second. Did that scare her? he wondered.

"I killed them, Asuna," he whispered hoarsely. "I killed them and all I want to do is forget it happened. Do you hate me for that?"

Immediately Asuna buried her face against his neck. "Never," she said immediately, her voice dismissing all possibility of doubt. "Never ever, Kazuto. All I hate is that you had to go that far because those idiots-" Her voice caught in her throat, and she sniffled. "Because those idiots wouldn't _stop_."

Kirito felt an invisible weight lift off of his shoulders. She didn't hate him for what he'd done to save the raid party. "Thank you, Asuna," he said as he patted her hand. She turned it around, lacing her fingers with his for an instant.

All of a sudden, his exhaustion caught up with him, and his eyelids felt heavier than ever. "Come on," Asuna said. "Let's go back to bed, okay?"

Kirito yawned and nodded, putting the empty mug away and following Asuna upstairs. His eyelids were really heavy, and he nearly tripped going up the stairs. As he walked down the hall, Asuna opened the door to her room. "Good night, Asuna," he said as he passed her.

Two fingers caught the hem of his shirt, and Kirito looked back to see Asuna reaching out. She didn't look at him, her face red in the pale moonlight. "You... should sleep in our bed tonight," she said.

"Wh-why?"

"Because you might have another nightmare," Asuna said. She still refused to look at him. "So sleep in our bed. That's supposed to help, right?"

Kirito scratched at his cheek. Well, it wasn't like he wasn't used to sleeping in the same bed with his sister, he thought. It always felt nice. And sleeping in the same bed with Asuna would be amazing, too... "Okay," he said finally. Asuna smiled faintly before heading into her room, Kirito following close behind her.

It was the first time he'd been in their room. It smelled sweet, Kirito's tired mind noted down, just before Asuna pulled back the covers of the bed she shared with Leafa. "Well?" she asked. "Go ahead and get in."

Kirito blinked. As tired as he was, he just obeyed without question, not realized that doing so meant that he would be sleeping between Leafa and Asuna until she got in behind him. With a happy little sigh, Asuna curled up with her back against Kirito's stomach; he tried to shift away to give her more room, but bumped into Leafa. He... definitely wasn't going anywhere until one or both of the girls woke up in the morning.

...

 _Kazuto poured the basin of water over his little sister's head, washing away the shampoo suds. Suguha sputtered for a second before she wiped the water out of her face. "All clean, Sugu," he told her._

 _"Thanks, Kazuto," she said. "My back next?"_

 _"Yeah, don't move."_

 _As he lathered up the sponge and started washing his sister's back in long, practiced strokes, Kazuto fell into a comfortable rhythm of up and down. "That feels good," Suguha sighed happily. "You're the best at this."_

 _"Actually," Kazuto began, "I've been meaning to ask you about something."_

 _"Yeah?" Suguha started to turn to look at him, before Kazuto yelped in panic and turned his head away. He felt his cheeks start to burn a little bit. H-His sister really needed to get more careful about that sort of thing! Especially now that she was starting to, um... grow._

 _"Don't you think we're starting to get a little old for bathing together? You just turned twelve. Also, could you_ please _not turn like that?" Once Suguha was facing front again, he rinsed off her back. "You're done."_

 _Suguha stood up, and Kazuto took his place on the stool for his turn. His little sister hummed to herself as she poured a generous dollop of shampoo into her hands, and he closed his eyes to avoid getting the soap in them. A minute passed in silence as she washed his hair, her hands lightly scratching at his scalp to make sure the shampoo was doing its job. He had to admit, it felt nice. Eventually, she poured water over his head to wash it out, and asked, "Do you... want to stop taking baths together?"_

 _"It's probably a good idea," he said a little bit reluctantly as she started washing his back. "The bathtub is starting to get a bit cramped when we're both in it, and I think we're getting a little, y'know..."_

 _The sponge on his back stopped moving, before Suguha leaned forward to hug him from behind. "Okay," she muttered. "But I'm going to miss taking baths with you, Kazuto."_

 _Kazuto tried not to think about the softness pressing against his back. It was_ definitely _just the sponge, that's all. "M-Maybe for special occasions," he said finally. Anything to stop his sister from making that sad expression he could_ feel _, even if he couldn't see. "But not every day like we do now, okay?"_

 _"Okay," Suguha chirped. Somehow, he felt like he'd won the battle but lost the war..._

...

When Kirito woke up the next morning, he was in a lot of trouble. Not because of anything like an unfortunate fact of life about being a boy and waking up; the Ethics Code prevented _that_ sort of trouble from happening, fortunately. No, the reason he was in trouble was pretty simple. At some point during the night, he'd wrapped Asuna in a hug, draping one arm over her body while she slept with her head resting on the other arm. She'd also latched onto the arm across her body in her sleep, so there was no way for him to get free.

While he was trying to figure out the best way out of the situation that didn't involve Asuna waking up and catching him, or accidentally groping her while trying to get free, the door to the bedroom opened. Kirito's heart nearly stopped, and then started up again when Leafa walked in, dressed in her normal early-morning kendo outfit. Then it stopped again when he realized that his little sister was seeing what was going on. "Oh, you're up!" Leafa said. That... wasn't the reaction he expected. "Morning, Kazuto. I let you sleep in because you looked way too peaceful."

"You should have woken me up," Kirito told her.

"But you look cute like this," Leafa said.

" _Asuna_ looks cute like this," he corrected her.

"Yeah, her too," she said with a sunny smile.

Without a care in the world, his little sister sat on the other side of the bed, humming to herself. Kirito couldn't roll over to look at her, even though he was tempted; he was abruptly glad of that when he heard the familiar sound effects of her menu followed by her clothes disappearing. "Are you getting changed?" he yelped. "I'm in the room!"

"Then don't look." His little sister's logic was infuriatingly simple. "Besides, it's not like we haven't taken baths together before."

Something about that felt familiar... A dream, maybe? Kirito couldn't quite put his finger on the feeling, and the familiarity faded away soon enough. "Just... help get Asuna up," he sighed after a few seconds.

"Oh, fine," Leafa huffed. When she walked over, he risked a peek, and relaxed when he saw that she was fully dressed. "Hey, Asuna, get up... It's time to wake up, Asuna."

The girl in his arms slowly stirred. "Munya... Huh?" She sat up, blinking her eyes blearily. Kirito hid a smile as he took the chance to scramble away and get out of the bed. Asuna really wasn't a morning person... Any time she woke up, she was totally out of it for a few seconds. "Morning, Sugu..."

"How did you sleep?"

"Really..." Asuna paused to yawn. "Really well... My pillow was comfy."

Leafa giggled. "I bet."

Asuna turned around, rubbing her eyes, and saw Kirito. "Morning, Kazuto," she mumbled.

"Morning, Asuna." Kirito took the chance he'd been given and hurried out of the room before Asuna could properly wake up and realize what had happened the night before.

As he opened his door, he heard Leafa yelp, "Ah! Asuna, don't fall back asleep!"

The rest of that morning, Asuna's face was _very_ red, and she refused to look Kirito in the eye. Leafa couldn't stop giggling every time Asuna looked away after stealing a glance at him, and the other girls were all incredibly confused.

In the end, Kirito was almost glad when Godfree from the Knights of the Blood dropped by to say hello that afternoon. "Thank you for yesterday!" the boisterous man boomed with a hearty laugh, sitting on the couch across from Kirito and Asuna. "Thanks to your hard work, we were able to round up all the leaders of Laughing Coffin! Catching PoH was a huge help!"

"No problem," Kirito said. He sipped at his tea awkwardly; he might be alright at talking to others thanks to Asuna dragging him to social events all the time, but Godfree was just... too much everything.

"Though... Maybe we could ask you for one last favor," Godfree said slowly. Argo, who was leaning against the wall next to Lisbeth, crossed her legs and raised an eyebrow. "Well... there are a few members that managed to get away," he admitted. "There's only a few of them, and we already know roughly where they are thanks to your network of informants, Miss Argo." Argo preened at the praise.

"So what do you need our help for?" Asuna asked. "If you know where they are, then why not go after them yourselves?"

"We'll do it," Kirito said. Godfree, who had been about to answer Asuna, hesitated. Asuna looked at Kirito, eyebrows raised. "I don't like the idea of just giving up on something halfway," he said with a small shrug. "Besides, this is partially my fault. I wasn't able to capture all of them."

Lisbeth shook her head. "You dork," she muttered quietly.

"Guess we're helpin'," Argo said with a shrug back to the pink-haired blacksmith.

Kirito exchanged a glance with Asuna, who simply sighed and smiled at him. "You're the guild leader," she said.

"Great!" Godfree exclaimed, giving all of them a huge smile. "We've got the first two under control, so if you could capture... I think his name is Morty?"

"Morte," Kirito and Argo chorused simultaneously. He grimaced, while Argo let out a long, dramatic groan. Morte... Kirito wasn't looking forward to dealing with him. He'd met him once or twice back in the beta, and there was always something _slimy_ about him. Honestly, he wasn't even all that surprised that Morte turned out to be a member of Laughing Coffin, he thought.

The two beta testers exchanged a glance, and Kirito shook his head. "We'll take care of him," he told Godfree.

"Wonderful! I knew I could count on the Royal Blades!" Godfree, still full of energy, bounded to his feet and stuck one bear-like hand out. Kirito shook it, and was almost amazed he was able to pull his hand back with his arm attached to his shoulder. "Miss Argo, I'm sure you've heard of everything already, but I'll send what we have on Morty - Morte, sorry. I'll send it to you as soon as I can."

Argo shrugged. "Thankies." Kirito glanced at her, but even knowing her as well as he did, he couldn't really read her face. Either she already knew all the information, her network of spies having told her what was going on as soon as they knew, or this was entirely new...

There wasn't any time to try to figure it out, either way. Once they had the information in their hands, the Royal Blades all but ran to town and teleported back to the Floor Laughing Coffin had used for their base. Morte was a red player, so his orange cursor would prevent him from easily leaving the Floor; all they had to do was find the player.

They hurried through the forest, moving at a fast clip, and Kirito took a deep breath. The day before... He didn't want to be forced to go that far ever again. And he would never let any of the others be pushed to do that, either. His hands had blood on them; he wouldn't let them suffer the same way.

Argo, leading the way, suddenly hissed out a breath of excitement. "Found 'im!" she exclaimed. Her Tracking Skill was high enough that she could see tracks by any player, and since Morte was the only one nearby... "He's headin' north, but the tracks're fresh, we're close."

"Good," Asuna said. Kirito couldn't help but notice that she really was beautiful when she was focused like that. ...A-And he meant that as her best friend. "I don't want him to escape. Laughing Coffin is like a weed. If we don't get rid of every last bit, they'll spring back up when we aren't looking."

Argo whistled. "Easy, A-chan. Yer cute when yer focused, but don't scare us, 'kay?"

"Sca- I'm sorry," Asuna said. Her eyes softened a little bit, and Kirito studied her. Yep, still beautiful, he thought. "Um, Kazuto, is there a reason you're staring at me?"

"No," he said without thinking. "I just wanted to."

Asuna blushed bright red while Argo and Lisbeth let out twin wolf whistles. Maybe they were spending too much time together, Kirito wondered idly. "D-D-Don't say those things in public!" she whined.

"So it's okay if he says those things when we're at home?"

Silica's innocent question was totally brutal, and Kirito winced when Asuna descended into a stammering mess, Lisbeth and his little sister swooping in to tease her. Why was it that the youngest among them always had the most ruthless comments? At least the sudden teasing seemed to have distracted Asuna and made her relax a little bit, which made both Kirito and Argo smile.

Suddenly Argo raised a hand, and they all silenced. "We're gettin' close," she said, "but someone else's footprints are here too. Looks like they're followin' Morte. We should hurry, it might be one 'a his buddies comin' ta help out."

"I thought the LC guys were all over the place," Lisbeth said. "Isn't that why we're going after Morte?"

"Better hurry, then," Kirito said. "Lisbeth, Leafa, stop teasing Asuna and let's go."

"'Kaaay," Lisbeth and Leafa chorused. Poor, flustered Asuna smacked Kirito's shoulder, cheeks burning, but rested a thankful hand on the shoulder immediately after.

They didn't have time to fool around any more, though, and the Royal Blades increased their pace. Argo practically blurred through the woods with her high AGI stats, and the rest of them weren't far behind. Following the brown hood through the forest, Kirito drove all other thoughts from his mind. The only thing he was thinking about was following Argo's path and whether they'd be in time to catch Morte -

\- and then he nearly slammed into Asuna's back as the long-haired girl nearly ran into Argo. "Why did we stop?" panted Silica as she brought up the rear. "What's wro- oh."

Morte was actually on the ground, not moving; the green aura surrounding his body was the answer. He'd been paralyzed by something. A distant part of Kirito's mind noticed the throwing knife embedded in his side, red polygons lazily drifting away from the wound.

And standing over him, arrow nocked to her bow and aimed straight at his forehead, was Sinon.

* * *

 **Oh dear! What is our favorite archer doing?! The answer is actually pretty obvious, I think. I mean, I'd hope it's obvious…**

 **First off, I know this chapter is a little bit more Serious Business than the others, but I mean it's Laughing Coffin, of course it's not going to be all happiness and sunshine. I tried to keep things a little lighthearted where I could – Leafa getting her new armor, a little bit of the banter here and there, anything that happens at the Log Cabin. Leafa getting her final upgrade was something I wanted to show, but was conflicted since I wasn't sure if throwing it in the middle was a good idea like that. I think it worked out well without killing too much of the pacing. (Especially since in this story, new equipment is basically like saying 'Hey take a look at all this character arc progression we're getting'.)**

 **PoH, for pretty obvious reasons (to anyone that hasn't read the light novel fan translations), is one of the villains that doesn't get much screen time but still has a massive ripple effect throughout the entire story, and I wanted to show that** _ **somehow**_ **. From the beginning, he's been the one behind all of the problems that the Royal Blades encounter. Bad info broker? PoH. Luring the Black Cats into a trap designed to get them killed? PoH. Forming and then subsequently betraying Laughing Coffin, all to get Kirito to PK (a goal which ultimately succeeded)? PoH. Leafa never getting that rare drop she'd been grinding for? Okay, that one was Kayaba. He felt like being a dick. You might notice that Argo had two really precise shots with her throwing picks; these weren't accurate at all, actually. They were supposed to paralyze PoH. Argo missed him and got really lucky, that's all.  
**

 **We should be out of the Serious Business zone by the end of next chapter, so please just hang on until then.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or left a review.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

* * *

 **September 11th, 2022**

"Better stay away from Asada, or she'll kill you."

"Oh no, I don't wanna die~!"

"Shh, you two, she can _hear_ you."

"Who cares about what that murderer thinks?"

Shino Asada definitely could hear the three girls' semi-hushed comments from the other corner of the room, where she was sitting and steadily working through the simple lunch she'd made herself. Despite the harsh words, she just kept eating the plain rice. It was easier to make her lunch, these days. It meant she didn't have to go down to the cafeteria, where she'd be far more vulnerable. If she could avoid the worst of the bullying, well, a few mean comments from the gossiping girls wasn't anything special. Nothing she wasn't used to, at any rate.

The words still hurt, of course. Every time she heard the whispered rumors about how she'd killed people, Shino drew into herself just a little bit more. It felt like everywhere she went, she was walking through an ice-cold tundra, seeping into her bones and heart and trying to freeze her solid.

But it was okay, to her. As long as she was able to hold on to the memory of that one moment of warmth, Shino could survive no matter how frozen the rest of the world was. When she got too cold, all she had to do was close her eyes and remember the feeling, and a fire would bloom inside her heart. That was what let her get through the days of hearing insults and being shunned at school, and what let her wake up in the morning and start each new day.

Classes went as they normally did; the whispers quieted down during lectures, at least, and Shino was grateful for the small respite. It would have been better if the teachers would do anything at all to help her, she thought, but they'd all heard the same stories about how she'd shot a man; they didn't know she could see the glances of fear and uncertainty they would give her from time to time, she suspected. In the end, her teachers didn't do anything to help. Shino just kept her head down through most of the day and powered through.

At least they aren't getting physical, Shino thought as she let herself into her apartment. "I'm home," she called out into the small, empty place. Naturally, there was no response. It was only one bed and one bath with a little kitchenette, but it was _hers_. She didn't have anyone else, but she didn't need anyone else so long as she had her memory of him. Her mother had moved to live with her grandparents, but Shino had managed to convince her that she could live on her own, at least for the rest of the school year to avoid switching schools. To be honest with herself, though, Shino knew it was because she didn't want to give those girls the satisfaction of thinking she'd run away.

Shino trudged through the short hallway and placed her school bag by her computer desk. Her homework shouldn't take too long, she thought, running through the assignments she'd received in her head even as she started unbuttoning her school uniform. The clothes were neatly hung back up in the closet; she only had a few pairs, so she didn't want to let these get dirty and wrinkled. When the only thing she was wearing over her underwear was her shirt, Shino hesitated, and looked at her desk.

It was a simple wooden desk, nothing special, but to Shino it was heavy and imposing because of just one drawer in particular. She took the few steps needed to cross over to it and pulled open the uppermost drawer; inside it there were a few school supplies, a letter opener, and the _real_ reason she was hesitating - a toy pistol. It was clearly not a real gun; the design was sleek and pointed, something straight out of a sci-fi game.

She breathed out slowly, but it still shuddered in her chest despite her best attempts. Shino reached out and brushed the body of the weapon with her fingertips. It felt cold against her touch, cold and lifeless. After another slow breath, she wrapped her right hand around the grip of the fake gun and lifted it from the drawer. In her hands, it was almost weightless; it was just a well-made toy, in the end, made from metal and paint but a toy.

 _Thump_

It... was like she was still there. In her hands, she wasn't looking at the toy gun anymore, but a real pistol. The slide was pulled back, locked in place by a bright gold bullet sitting awkwardly in the chamber. Jammed in place.

 _Thump thump_

A coppery smell filled her nose, and Shino couldn't help but remember. Red. It was so very, very red. And it was warm, too. Back then, the gun had been hot, but it was the warmth of the red, red blood pooling around her bare legs that she remembered the most. And the splatter across her legs and her sweater, staining the fabric forever.

His face had been red, too. The trails of blood leading down from his forehead, where she'd -

 _Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump_

"Aaaaah!"

Dimly, Shino realized that she was screaming, the toy gun in her hand rattling around as she shook violently. It felt like there was a filter of red in front of her eyes, and it was hard for the girl to focus on anything except the murderous weapon she was holding. Her heart was pounding so hard it was like it was trying to burst out of her chest. The drawer... The drawer she'd pulled the gun out of was like a bottomless black pit, sucking her in - until a hand reached out. The disheveled, wild-eyed man rose up, sneering an ugly grin, and the hole in his forehead streamed bright red blood.

Shino cupped a hand over her mouth. "Gah!" Her right hand spasmed and she lost her grip on the gun. As it clattered to the ground, Shino staggered away until her back struck the closest wall. She was shivering. Cold. Cold. So very cold.

Abruptly her stomach lurched and Shino raced for the bathroom.

The sound of Shino's vomiting and coughing filled the small apartment a few seconds later.

Once she'd finished, the dry heaves finally stopping, Shino closed the lid of her toilet and hit the lever. It flushed behind her as she staggered out of her bathroom, clutching a simple white cloth. She knelt down and dropped it on top of the toy gun. She picked it up; this time, the chill was held at bay by the handkerchief, so it was easy to carry it back over to the desk and return it to the drawer. She drew the cloth away, and it was like she'd never touched it in the first place. Shino closed the drawer, rattling the entire desk.

She let out a sigh and turned around, catching a glimpse of herself in the wall mirror she used to make sure she was presentable in the mornings. I look awful... she thought. Her face was pale and her eyes totally exhausted, a few dark smudges under her eyes. She didn't wear makeup; the shadows were from the nightmares she always woke up from. She knew she always looked like this when she had an episode. The white shirt she wore didn't help, making her look washed out.

The gun in the drawer was her attempt at overcoming her phobia, stemming from that horrible incident. Hearing a gunshot or even just holding a gun could send Shino into a panic attack that would leave her trembling and nauseous. Still, she'd managed to come far. It hadn't been long since everything happened, but the memory of that warmth had given her the drive to overcome her fear.

Of course, to Shino, it didn't feel like she'd progressed at _all_. She fell onto the bed, face first, before rolling onto her side and drawing her legs up towards her stomach. "Save me..." she murmured. A few tears brimmed in her eyes, refusing to fall. "Please, save me..."

No matter how much she called, though, he wouldn't save her. Instead, she simply closed her eyes and remembered, pulling the single memory of him over her like a comforting blanket. Slowly but surely, her heart stopped pounding so fast and her shivers slowed to a halt. Once she was calm again, Shino opened her eyes. "Not this time either, huh..."

Shaking her head, Shino sat up. Soon, that would change. She reached out towards the side of the bed where a grey helmet rested innocently on the headboard, plugged in and charging. She'd worked so hard to save little bits and pieces from her allowance to buy it that she almost couldn't believe that it was sitting there. It was still unused, but that wouldn't last much longer. After all, Shino's copy of Sword Art Online had arrived that afternoon, and all she had to do was wait one more day for the servers to go live. And then she could be someone else and become strong in that game.

She could become Sinon.

...

 **October 7th, 2022**

Sinon's hand tightened on the hilt of her dagger. She held it in front of her in the traditional reverse grip and let out a slow breath before she lunged forward, the blade flashing in a viridian arc as she attacked. Her weapon bit into the flank of the boar in front of her and left a long red slash as she passed. The lunge took her past the boar, and she was able to recover from the post-Sword Skill delay before it turned around. Her eyes were laser-focused as she stared at the boar, watching for its next movements.

The Frenzy Boar snorted and pawed at the ground, and Sinon remembered what her instructor had told her. 'That's the sign it's going to charge', his voice echoed in her mind. As it lowered its head and started thundering towards her, Sinon dodged to the side. She slid awkwardly, nearly losing her balance, but the boar's charge missed her entirely. In fact, it stopped far enough away that Sinon was able to get her balance back and jump, awkwardly stabbing her blade into the weak point she'd been told about, right where the boar's head met its shoulders.

The mob squealed as her blade struck home, and shattered into blue polygons. The girl blinked at it for a second before she realized that she'd won the fight. It wasn't the first time she'd killed a mob in this game, but it was the first since the announcement about the truth of Sword Art Online. It had been... easy, she realized. All she had to do was aim and strike exactly at that weak point, and the mob's HP had all but vanished. She stared at the dagger in her hands. The weapon felt... cool, but it was the coolness of steel, not the cold in her nightmares.

"Alright," she heard a voice call out. "Sorry, but I have to cut today's practice short, okay?" The voice belonged to the boy in black that organized these training sessions; they'd been running for a while, but this was the first one she attended. Sinon sheathed her dagger on her hip, sliding it back into the sheath on her back. It hung heavily on her mind, even though the weight of the weapon itself was almost negligible.

"Awww."

Kirito... There was something about him that drew Sinon's eye. She kept glancing at him every now and then, trying to figure out what exactly kept pulling at her attention. In the end, she told herself that it was just that he'd been the one to teach her how to fight properly. Either way, she knew that with this, she would finally be able to move on. She'd be able to prove that his kindness hadn't been wasted on someone weak like her.

She didn't remember much about that day, after the gun had gone off; she was pretty sure she'd been in shock. She remembered that it was a boy that wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, and that was mostly it. She didn't remember his face, or what he'd been wearing. While she'd been wrapped in that wool-like warmth, almost like being in a dream, he'd said _something_ to her, not that she could remember what it was. In the end, his words didn't matter; all that mattered was that she was able to cling to that memory. It kept her above water, when she felt like she was about to drown.

But that was _Shino_. She was Sinon now. And Sinon was going to be strong. She had to be. Once she knew how to be strong as Sinon, then it would be easy to have that strength bleed over to her other half... assuming she survived.

No, Sinon shook her head. Don't think like that. She was definitely going to survive, no matter what, she told herself. Kirito was talking to a young girl with twin-tails, patting her on the head before pointing at the sky, and Sinon realized that she was watching him again. After the younger girl left, Kirito turned and headed back to town; Sinon watched him walk away. He was going to go fight the Floor 1 Boss, she realized. She'd heard some of the players whispering about the raid party that was being organized in the furthest town.

One day, she promised herself. One day Sinon would be strong enough to fight on the front lines without being scared. And then, when she knew the secrets, she'd never feel that awful cold again.

...

 **February 5th, 2023**

"Aaah! Watch out!"

Sinon's vision still hadn't returned from the teleport, so there was absolutely no way she could have known the shouted warning was intended for her. That was, until someone slammed into her at a fast pace, knocking the black-haired girl down. She ended up on her butt, back against the Warp Gate. "Oww..." she muttered, rubbing her head where it had bounced against the stone. It didn't _hurt_ , not really, but it still felt funny. "Hey, watch where you're going."

"I'm terribly sorry! I had no intention of running into you, but I found I couldn't stop in time!" The culprit responsible was almost a surprise to Sinon. She'd been struck by another girl, something of a rarity in this game. The other girl had bounced off of Sinon and landed on the ground facing her; she was cute and pretty, even though her forehead was red from where she'd bumped into Sinon. She had long, bright-colored hair, and it fell in curls and waves. "I'm really very sorry."

Sinon smiled. "Don't worry about it," she said as she stood up and offered her hand. "Neither of us are hurt."

The girl sighed in relief. "I'm glad."

"...What's your name?" Sinon asked. For the life of her, she wasn't sure why she asked that question, but... there was something charming about the way the girl talked. Maybe she was one of those roleplayers?

"My name is Lux," she replied. "May I know yours?"

Well, the girl had a strange manner of speaking, but Sinon decided that it wasn't that big a deal in the long run. "Sinon," she said.

Lux smiled. "Our meeting may have been an accident, but a welcome one," she said. "It's nice to meet you, Sinon."

It was almost natural for the two girls to start walking through town; Sinon needed to restock on some potions before she headed out on a tough quest, and Lux tagged along. "So, what are you doing up here?" Sinon asked the other girl. "It's dangerous for solo players, isn't it?"

"Well, I could ask you the same question, couldn't I?" Lux replied. "Neither of us seem to be walking with a party."

Sinon smiled faintly at Lux's comment. She didn't really work with others all that much - it would defeat the purpose if she couldn't rely on herself. "You're right," she said. "But I can handle myself."

She was talented with the metal throwing knives she'd started using; they could only be made by player blacksmiths, so they were expensive to buy, but as long as she didn't miss they could be reused several times. By this point, Sinon rarely missed her target. It was some weird ability to hit exactly what she was aiming at, but she wasn't questioning it. With that kind of talent, she could stay far away and snipe mobs with thrown weapons at their weak points, making being a solo player a lot less dangerous as long as she kept an eye on her surroundings. She had her dagger in case she got ambushed, but she wasn't the best with it.

Lux, as it turned out, was also a solo player, though her weapon of choice was the one-handed longsword. "It makes being a solo player a little difficult," she admitted when Sinon asked how that was going for her. "That's why I'm looking for a group to tackle a dungeon on Floor 15. It's not the most difficult, but I would feel much safer with a partner or two."

"You're trying to clear a dungeon?"

"Yes!" Lux said. Her eyes sparkled. "According to the rumors in the Daily Argo, it has a particularly rare drop."

"A rare drop, huh?" Sinon hummed in thought even as she purchased a resupply of healing potions. She swiped open her menu and checked: healing potions, check; emergency antidotes, check; throwing knives, check; and dagger fully repaired, check. "If you haven't found anyone, I wouldn't mind going."

Suddenly she realized what her mouth had said without much input from her brain. "Really?" Lux gasped. "I didn't wish to impose, but if you'd be willing to come with me, I'm certain that the two of us can clear the dungeon."

"Sure," Sinon said. Even though she'd made the offer without thinking about it, it wasn't that bad an idea. In fact, the thought of teaming up with Lux to go clear a dungeon was more appealing the more Sinon thought about it. Why shouldn't she? It was just a temporary party, anyway. They'd go through the dungeon once or twice until one of them got the rare drop, and then split up.

"I look forward to working with you, then!"

 **July 13th, 2023**

"Good morning, Sinon!" Lux sang. Sinon had half a second to brace herself before the long-haired girl tackled her in a huge hug from behind. A few players on the street looked at the two girls, but this was far enough behind the front lines that so they didn't attract _too_ much attention from the players standing around.

Sinon smiled. "Morning, Lux. Did you sleep well?"

"Of course. And you?"

Sinon didn't even hesitate as she said, "Just like I always do." The nightmares were becoming rarer. That being said, Sinon couldn't quite convince herself that she was getting stronger. She couldn't be _certain_ that it was her strength, and not just a lack of exposure to the gun sitting innocently in her drawer. In the end, she shook her head mentally to clear out the early-morning cobwebs and said, "Have you had breakfast already?"

Lux finally released her hug and stood next to Sinon. "Yes! I'm ready to get started on today's grinding if you are."

"I've restocked my throwing knives, I'm good."

"You're the only player I've seen still using those, you know."

The two girls had been in a dedicated party ever since they teamed up to clear the dungeon on Floor 15. They'd worked together well; Lux was pretty good with her longsword, good enough that she could handle the front line on her own while Sinon provided pinpoint-accurate support from the rear. By this point, Lux had stopped flinching every time one of Sinon's throwing knives whizzed past her head to embed itself in a mob, and because of Lux taking all of the aggro, Sinon didn't have to worry too much about monsters that sneaked around and flanked her. It was a partnership of convenience, nothing more, Sinon had told herself at first, but eventually the girl thawed a little bit.

There was still an invisible gap between the two of them, though. Sinon knew it was probably her own fault; she just couldn't find it in herself to get that close to the other girl. Some part of her mind whispered that if she did, Lux would find out about what Sinon had done and would leave. Sinon had her memory of him - she could take that. But it would still hurt so, so much and Sinon didn't want to lose a friend.

"Oh!" Lux said right as the partners were about to leave town. Sinon jumped in her skin a little bit, surprised by the sudden sound. "I almost forgot!"

"Forgot what?"

"I'd intended to say something before now, but I've kept forgetting." Lux drew Sinon off to the side of the road where they wouldn't be bothering other players attempting to leave. Sinon looked around the secluded nook; hidden behind one of the buildings, the sounds of the other players on the main road was a little muffled. A large tree cast shade over the small clearing, and that was where Lux was staring.

Sinon fidgeted awkwardly. Th-this place was... it reminded her of all those TV shows she'd watched in the real world where a best friend would confess to another one... It was really kind of a romantic spot, when she thought about it. Secluded, under a leafy tree, with no one around to watch or interrupt. Suddenly, a memory flickered through her mind, totally unbidden: arms around her, making her feel warm and secure.

Why? she wondered. Why was she thinking about that time? It wasn't like she'd had another panic attack or anything like that. Her heart still felt like it was beating faster, though...

Lux turned around, and Sinon shook her head to chase away the thoughts swirling through her head and focus on her friend. "Actually, I've been meaning to say this for a long time," Lux began. "It's actually a little funny. I hadn't realized you were so important to me until a little bit, and then I couldn't say anything because I kept looking for the perfect moment. Thank you for being my best friend," Lux said as she smiled at Sinon. "I wanted to do something nice for you, so please accept this present!" She held out a neatly-wrapped box in her hands.

"You didn't have to do something like this..."

"I wanted to," Lux insisted. "Please."

Sinon hesitated, and then gave in. "Alright," she said, and accepted the present. When she looked at her friend, Lux nodded almost eagerly, telling her it was fine to open the gift there. Once Sinon tapped the present and opened it, she stared in amazement at the blue silk scarf in her hands. It felt soft and comfortable, and she immediately equipped it.

"It looks great on you," Lux said with a smile. "I'm glad. I hope you like it!"

Sinon lifted the end of the sapphire blue scarf, and then smiled. Even though it was the middle of summer, it didn't feel hot at all! "I do," she said. "I love it. Thank you, Lux."

A sigh of relief escaped Lux. "I'm so relieved," she said. "I wanted to do something nice, and when I saw this in a boutique on Floor 20, I knew I wanted to buy it for you."

Sinon was still smiling by the end of the dungeon they were running that afternoon. She fiddled with the edge of the scarf unconsciously, rubbing her fingers against the soft material over and over again. This was the first present she'd ever received from a friend, ever since that day... She promised to herself that she would cherish it forever, as a memento of her partner. Her partner who, at the moment, was leaning over a chest to loot the contents.

"Oh, hello there! I didn't expect there to be anyone else around."

Sinon turned around, and Lux stood up. They both blinked; a player was standing there, one hand jauntily on his hip. His armor looked like scale mail, but made of some strange material that wasn't metal. "Who are you?" Sinon asked.

"Don't mind me~. I just wanted to run this dungeon, but it looks like you beat me to it. Man, I _knew_ I shoulda left when I woke up this morning. Hahaha! Guess today's not my lucky day."

The male player in the clearing rubbed the back of his head. Sinon's eyes narrowed as her hackles raised. There was something about the way he talked... It was cloying, and a little syrupy. It didn't help that a metal hood covered his eyes, a few chain links dangling down his face like locks of hair. "Sorry," she said shortly. "Bad luck."

The man laughed again. His giggling was shrill, and Sinon wondered if _that_ was what causing her to be suspicious about something she couldn't quite name. "Guess so," he said, approaching them. He extended a hand out. "Mind shaking my hand? Maybe some of your good luck will rub off on me."

Sinon eyed him and took a step back. She didn't do well with men... Her hands started to feel cold, and she shivered. The man just smiled cheerfully and took a few steps closer. "No thanks." Sinon grabbed Lux's hand and tugged her to the side, trying to circle around the other player.

"Oh come on, I don't bite! Unless you want me to," he added. "The name's Morte."

Sinon and Lux were almost halfway across the clearing; Lux glanced back over her shoulder, and gasped. "His crystal, he's -"

That was as much as she was able to say before Morte rocketed across the clearing. The hand he hadn't been extending was holding a wicked-looking hand axe, and the blade was glowing a dirty green color. Sinon had just an instant to gasp, but it felt like an eternity. The axe was slashing straight for her, and Sinon felt herself accept her death - before Lux shoved her, hard. "Lux!" Sinon cried as she tumbled across the ground.

As soon as she was able to focus, she scrambled to her feet. Her hands reached for the throwing knifes strapped to her belt - and then she froze. Her heart thundered in her ears, and a hollow cry echoed from her throat. Lux was lying face down in the dirt, Morte's axe in her back. He straightened up and grinned at her; it was the same grin he'd been wearing since the beginning. "Sinon," Lux gasped. "Run!"

"I can't -"

"Go!" Lux screamed. Then she screamed again as Morte grabbed his axe and tore it from her back without hesitation. "Please, Sinon, you have to get away! You have to -"

Any words Lux was about to say were silenced forever when the killer slammed his axe down again. Sinon's eyes widened as she stared, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Lux's HP bar in the corner of her vision slid down, down, down - and then vanished as Lux's body shattered into a million cheap blue polygons.

Morte laughed, and it was like she saw double; he was standing there, but the bank robber was also there in front of her, blood trickling down from his forehead. The bank robber leered and reached out for her, and for an instant Sinon was just a young girl again, hot blood pooling around her legs and a gun clutched in her shaking hands.

"Noooo!" she screamed, flinging a throwing knife. She wasn't sure who she'd aimed at, but Morte deflected it with his axe anyway. "Get away from me!"

She turned and ran. She couldn't stay there in that clearing anymore. Her vision was red, and she could barely see in front of her face. His mocking laughter rang in her ears, long after she'd left the dungeon behind.

In the end, she found herself sitting on her lonely inn room, hugging her knees to her chest. She couldn't quite remember how she managed to make it back there safely, but she'd survived. Yeah... Sinon laughed hollowly at the thought. She survived again. This time, it was her friend that had given up her life. How many people would die because of her? How many times would her hands be stained with blood?

She curled up on the bed and cried. Even the memory of his arms around her didn't help her aching heart. "Why?" she wailed. "Why me? Haven't I been through enough?"

Sinon was _tired_ of having to be hurt. She was _tired_ of putting up with the whispered comments of her old classmates, _tired_ of suffering from a panic attack every time she looked at or touched a gun. She was so _tired_...

Slowly, Sinon's heart went numb as the poor girl's sobs dwindled to sniffles and hiccups, and then finally to exhausted silence. It was the only thing she could think of to make the pain go away. She tucked herself away in her shell of cool ice, hiding from the world and everyone else. Even as the pain washed over her in unrelenting waves, Sinon curled up and tried to think of nothing. Nothing at all.

In the darkness of her room, the girl cried, and the only comfort she could find was in the memory of warm arms wrapped around her.

...

 **November 20th, 2023**

Sinon woke up and stared blankly at the ceiling of her inn room. After a few seconds, she sighed and rolled over before getting out of bed. "Another day," she said. She checked her menu out of habit, but it wasn't like anything had changed overnight.

Her daily routine hadn't changed for several months, ever since she heard the rumors of a rare item that could bring a player back from death. As soon as the opportunity to bring Lux back presented itself, Sinon had latched onto it like a drowning woman onto a life preserver. It didn't matter how much she had to risk her own life, Lux _had_ to come back. She didn't have hands stained with blood. _Sinon_ should have been the one to die that day.

Sinon grabbed breakfast from the inn; just a piece of bread with cream, but it was enough to fill her stomach and stop it from complaining. That was good enough for Sinon. After paying her bill, she pulled her scarf up over her face, glad for the protection from the weather. It was starting to get cold, and her lips and nose would end up chapped and stinging after a long day of grinding.

And that was essentially all she did, these days. She _had_ to grind. She knew that trying to kill an event boss on her own was practically suicide, but it was her only option. She didn't have allies to rely on anymore, so the only thing she had going for her was her own strength. Well... That was okay, Sinon thought as she stepped out into the cold. Fortunately for her, she had a skill that made soloing pretty easy.

Once she was out of the town and safely out in the forest, Sinon decided she was far enough away from anyone else. Swiping open her menu, she tapped a few buttons, and the dagger on her back disappeared. In its place, a weight that was more familiar these days settled over her shoulder. Sinon unslung the bow from her back and nodded once.

Archery. She was pretty sure it was a Unique Skill after looking over the available information she could buy from the info brokers. It let her use the bow that she'd found on a dungeon run back in September; the arrows were fairly powerful, but it was Sinon's uncanny ability to snipe with the weapon that made it deadly in her hands. To Sinon, though, it was a way for her to stay solo. She could shoot pretty much anything from far away, and since she stayed away from other people, she didn't have to worry about anything other than the enemy mobs.

The 42nd Floor... The mobs there weren't the best for grinding, but Sinon was fine with that. They still gave good experience, and they died in one arrow to the weakpoint. The ones on the true front lines, Floor 47, took more than that, and buying arrows from the NPC shops was such a pain. She had to go in and show them her bow, and only then would she be able to restock her supply.

The snow crunched under her boots as she walked through the forest. More white flakes fell, but Sinon didn't have to worry about them affecting her ability to fight. Her white cloak was 'snow-proof', which meant she didn't suffer from movement penalties in the snow or if her cloak got too wet from melting snow. It was nice to have, especially in the winter. Instead of worrying about that, she could focus on looking around for enemies. She couldn't relax, not in the slightest. Not if she wanted to get stronger.

Time passed, and she paused to eat lunch. The jerky was tough and dry, and she wasn't the biggest fan of it, but it sated her hunger. She drank from a water pouch and wiped at her mouth, and then stood up and gripped her boy. It was time to keep going. No rest at all.

She'd heard that the 47th Floor's boss fight was going on that day. She didn't want to risk people seeing her bow, and her dagger skills weren't good enough to fight a boss. Hopefully, that would change; the players seemed to accept Heathcliff's Holy Sword and Kirito's Dual Blades, but they were both leaders of popular and powerful guilds. Sinon wasn't sure how they'd react to a solo player like her having a Unique Skill.

Either way, nobody knew about her Archery Skill, and she wanted to -

"Ah... Is that a bow?"

Sinon stopped, eyes wide. A mob in front of her had just shattered unexpectedly, and a player in black was standing there, staring at her. She definitely recognized the twin swords he was holding, one in each hand, as well as the long black coat. But the one thing she couldn't quite process was why Kirito, leader of the Royal Blades, was out there all alone without any of his guild members with him. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen a picture of him in the Daily Argo without at least one girl in the picture.

She'd heard some players refer to him as 'The Playboy Swordsman', but she dismissed those comments as petty jealousy that he was surrounded by a bunch of pretty girls. If she didn't, she'd have to believe he was as bad as Sir Gawain when it came to playing with the hearts of women.

She didn't even realize she'd been staring until he raised a hand defensively. "Oh, sorry if I'm interrupting your hunt or something. Are you a solo player, or here with a party?"

He felt so familiar... But Sinon shook her head. That was probably just because she'd attended one of his lessons early on and kept seeing his face in the newspaper. "Just leave me alone. Or stay here, whatever," she said, turning around. Was it too much that she wanted to be left alone? That way, she wouldn't have to worry about dragging someone else into her mess. "...Don't tell anyone about my bow."

"Ah, wait -"

Kirito's voice echoed in the clearing behind her as she headed deeper into the forest. Sinon stifled a sigh, trying not to feel irritated that someone had intruded on her hunting grounds. It was far harder than she expected to put Kirito's appearance behind her, though. He kept appearing in her thoughts, over and over again - until she smacked her cheeks once. Once her cheeks were red from more than just the cold, she gripped her bow and kept moving through the snow. She had more mobs to kill.

...

 **December 5th, 2023**

It was almost time for her to take a break for lunch, Sinon realized as the arrow left her bow and sped forward, killing the last mob of the group she'd attracted. With a bone-weary sigh, she climbed out of the tree and landed on the ground lightly. It was very impressive - until her nose wrinkled and she let out a cute sneeze. "Achoo!" Sinon sniffled a few times before letting out another sigh. This one was a little more irritated than before.

Okay, she decided, first things first she was going to get warm. Then, she'd go run the next dungeon, and then eat something when she went back to town to sell off her drops. Her plans in order, Sinon nodded resolutely and headed to the nearest town. She didn't stop once she was inside the Safe Zone, however, and ignored the NPCs lining the road in favor of walking straight for the the Warp Gate in the center of town.

She reappeared on one of the lower Floors; unlike the front lines, where she'd just been, this Floor was almost empty aside from the NPCs that lived there. That suited Sinon just fine, and she felt herself relax a little bit. The mobs on this Floor were weak enough that she didn't waste some of her limited supply of arrows on them; instead, she just tossed her metal throwing knives at them until they died. She was precise enough that most of the time, she could kill the mob in one shot unless it made a lucky dodge.

Her poor, shivering body longed for the warmth, and Sinon found herself looking forward to visiting the hot spring she and Lux had unlocked. It was her special place, where nobody else could find her. For as long as she'd been using it, Sinon had never seen another player there except for when Lux had been with her. To her, it was a calm, relaxing sanctuary where she could unwind; the small buff to her stats after soaking in the springs long enough was just a nice bonus. It was one of her favorite memories with Lux - the two of them relaxing in the steamy springs together, just talking about nothing, until the heat started to get to her head. Sinon smiled to herself even as she walked up to the empty clearing -

\- except the clearing _wasn't_ empty. Sinon froze as she stepped out of the forest and came face to face with someone she _really_ didn't want to see again. "Ah... you," she said, staring numbly at Kirito.

Kirito smiled. "Oh, hey there, Miss Archer," he said kindly. "Fancy seeing you here. I thought we were the only ones to know about this."

Th-this was... "I... I'm the only one who knew... Um, 'we'?" Sinon asked. As if in response to her question, voices from inside the bathroom got louder, and Sinon realized that this time, Kirito _wasn't_ alone. Or, well, he wasn't by himself. If she had to guess, the rest of the main circle of the Royal Blades was sitting inside the hot spring, enjoying the steamy water, while Kirito stood guard.

"It's just my party in there right now. They're all girls, so I don't think they'll mind. You wanted to use the hot spring, right?"

Sinon's traitor head nodded without her conscious input, her body realizing how wonderful the warm water sounded. Kirito smiled gently at her and knocked on the door to the hot spring before pushing it open slightly. "Kazuto? Is that you?" a girl's voice called out.

"Yeah," he called back. "There's another girl out here, wanting to use the hot spring. Is there room for one more?"

"Of course. Tell her to come on in, I can make a swimsuit for her if she'd like!"

Kirito nodded before turning back to the archer, a smile on his face. "There you go, Miss Archer. Don't worry, I'm keeping guard out here, so go ahead and relax." He hesitated, then asked, "...Do I know you?"

Sinon shook her head. She'd never spoken to him before, after all. Attending one of his practice sessions definitely didn't count; there was no way he'd remember her. Without another word, she started walking towards the open door. It was surprisingly difficult to take those steps, since this was really the first time she was going to talk to other players in... a long time.

When she walked in, a beautiful girl with her hair tied up on her head was waiting for her. Asuna the Lightning Flash, the Princess of the Royal Blades, was as instantly recognizable as Kirito the Black Prince. She was wearing a cute swimsuit, and smiled at the sight of Sinon. "Hi there," she said. "I'm Asuna."

"Hi," Sinon said quietly.

"I can make you a swimsuit, if you want," Asuna offered. "You don't have to if you don't, of course. I just thought I'd offer." She smiled.

The smile was strangely comforting. "Sure," Sinon said, even as she started stripping off her clothes. "A bikini is fine." She busied herself with taking everything off except the towel; it was her little routine, after Lux had convinced her not to use the menu because 'it ruined the experience'. When she turned back, holding the towel closed across her chest with one hand, Asuna offered her a few strips of cloth.

"Here you are! I picked something simple, since I wasn't sure what you'd like."

Sinon equipped the swimsuit, and glanced at it; it was mostly black, with white making a checkboard pattern across one side. "It's nice," she said. "How much do I owe you?"

Asuna smiled. "No charge," she said. "Think of it as a gift, for letting me practice my Sewing Skill."

Sinon stared at her, a little startled. It was weird to see someone so... kind. She followed Asuna inside, still off-balance from the one-two combination of Kirito and then Asuna, and entered the bathing area. Asuna went back to the hot spring and slipped back in, joining what Sinon assumed was the rest of the Royal Blades. She recognized them all easily thanks to their very unique traits.

The girls talked to themselves while Sinon washed up, but once she slid into the hot springs, Argo drifted over. "So, how's it goin'?" the info broker asked with a cat-like grin.

"Argo, don't you dare," Asuna said immediately.

"What? I wasn't gonna touch!"

Sinon, automatically, folded her arms across her chest. "Fine," she said.

"I thought we were the only ones that knew about this place," Lisbeth said. "Guess not, huh?"

Sinon nodded. "I've used it for a while," she said.

Leafa raised her hand. "Me next! What weapon do you use?"

Sinon blinked at the girl, startled. Meanwhile, Asuna sighed. "Sugu, what kind of question is that? Everyone, don't bother our guest, please."

"I-It's fine," Sinon said. "I use a dagger. And throwing knives."

"Oh yeah?" Lisbeth leaned forward at the same time Leafa did. Sinon, briefly, felt a pang of jealousy. "Who makes your throwing knives? Bet I can beat the quality," she bragged with a grin.

"Liz," Asuna sighed fondly.

"You know it's true, Asuna."

"Yes, but it's not becoming for a young lady to brag like that."

"Yeah, yeah, Miss All-Girls School."

Sinon giggled at the back and forth, and then paused. She'd almost forgotten, that's what her laugh sounded like... The girls in the bath with her had, that easily, gotten her to open up. Their conversation had felt... warm. Like the way the arms around her had felt -

She stood up abruptly. The other girls looked at her, and she said, "Thank you for letting me join you. I'll be leaving early."

"O-Okay," Silica said. "It was nice meeting you!"

As Sinon left, she heard Lisbeth say, "Hey, Argo, did you catch her name?"

"Nope. A-chan?"

"...Come to think of it, she never..."

The girls' voices faded to a quiet murmur as she slid the door to the changing room shut. With a harsh sigh, Sinon leaned over and pressed her forehead to the closest wall, letting tension drain out of her. Asuna hadn't asked for the swimsuit back, so Sinon didn't feel bad about stashing it in her inventory as she got dressed again. It was a nice swimsuit, and she liked the colors.

Once she was dressed, water still beading in her hair, Sinon hurried out. She didn't want to stay in that place for any longer than she had to - "Miss Archer!" Kirito called out, and Sinon flinched. When she turned around, he was watching her. "Did you enjoy it? The hot spring, I mean. You were out pretty quickly, that's all."

"I'm used to being quick," she said after a second. Every time she was there, she had nobody to watch over her, so she made it a point to only stay as long as she had to.

Kirito scratched his cheek. "Oh, that'd make sense," he said. "If you're a solo player, then there's nobody to keep watch, I guess. But you could have taken your time, you didn't have to hurry."

Sinon looked away. Still, he _did_ deserve an answer, didn't he? "It was nice," she said. "And your friends are nice. It was..."

She hesitated, trying to figure out the best way to describe the feeling of being part of that little moment, and Kirito grinned. "Nice?" he suggested.

That wasn't it, and Sinon shook her head. "Warm," she said. "It was warm." She tugged her scarf over her mouth and turned, heading back out into the words. For a moment, she'd seen something that she desperately, desperately wanted.

But until Lux was back, she couldn't stop. She needed to get stronger. Stronger and stronger, until Shino's weakness was just a distant memory.

...

 **December 25th, 2023**

Of course. Of course it had just been a cruel joke. Ten seconds. That's how long the Divine Stone of Returning Soul worked before the player was lost forever. This whole time, Sinon had been forcing herself on a wild goose chase.

She got back to her cold, lonely inn room and collapsed onto the bed, face first into the pillow. A sob ripped out of her as Sinon finally let herself grieve for the loss of her dear friend. She didn't have any chance to bring Lux back, not anymore - so she accepted the pain, and the jagged shards of disappointment.

All at once, Sinon felt like she'd been plunged deep into a dark ocean, where light couldn't reach. It felt like she was drowning in the black water, and she couldn't swim no matter what she tried to do. It was almost funny; months of determination, of focusing on getting stronger, of pushing everything else aside and aiming at her goal with the focus of a laser sight, and this was the result. She wasn't getting stronger. She never had been. She was still just the same old crybaby that she'd been back in the real world.

It wouldn't even hurt so much, Sinon thought, if she hadn't let herself relax around Kirito and the Royal Blades. That day when she joined them in the bath, a crack had formed in the shell of ice she'd built around her heart, and joining them for the fight against Nicholas the Renegade had only made it worse. They'd moved so smoothly around each other; Sinon got the feeling the only reason they even called out for switches at all was because _she_ was there. And then, when Kirito had made that offer to let her join the Royal Blades, she'd been _so_ tempted. She liked the Royal Blades. She liked Kirito and his easy smile, his effeminate face that still promised safety. She liked Asuna's gentle eyes, and Leafa's excited voice. Somehow, the thought of disappointing them and seeing hate in their eyes made her feel like she would lose something important.

Sinon had declined the invitation in the end, but she knew the reason why she'd said no was because she was scared. She was scared of the warmth she felt from being around the Royal Blades. She was scared that if she joined them like Kirito had offered, and then they found out what she'd done, they'd force her out again.

More than anything, she was scared of disappointing the boy that she loved. She didn't know his name, or what he looked like, or even how old he was, but she still loved him. She'd figured it out months ago; that warmth she felt when she thought of him, and when she was around the Royal Blades, was the warmth of love. They all loved each other so much, and the way they interacted with each other proved it.

Sinon rolled over and stared at the ceiling, feeling tears trickle out of her eyes and down her cheeks. Should she just give up on hope? That warmth that she wanted, that she craved... It'd never be hers, would it? If she gave up on love and totally froze her heart, she'd be able to give up the pain as well. All she would have to do was let herself... fall...

The brief memory of his arms around her pierced through the darkness, like a beam of light. More beams of light followed, lighting things up little by little until seven rays of light led the way to the surface. Sinon reached out, hand grasping for whatever was casting the light -

Sinon opened her eyes and lowered her hand. It had just been a dream.

But she knew, now. There was _no_ way she was going to just give up and roll over. If it was impossible for her to get stronger, then she'd just have to make the impossible real. She was _going_ to beat this, no matter what she had to do. She would never be normal again, but... as long as she didn't stop, that didn't matter. Carrying that burden with her was her punishment and her duty. Slowly, Sinon sat up and got out of bed. Her legs shook a little bit; leftover nerves from the night before working themselves out.

"Merry Christmas, Lux," she whispered, looking at her reflection in the mirror. The girl that looked back at her... Her eyes were hard but focused; there weren't any bags under them, and she held herself with confidence and poise. She wore glasses, even though she didn't need them, but they only served to highlight her black hair and eyes nicely.

Sinon smiled and left her inn room, heading downstairs to get breakfast and start her day.

After a second, she ran back into the room and slammed the door shut behind her, blushing. After a second, she swiped her menu open and changed out of her pajamas. The little cat design on her sleep shirt might have been cute, but it was _definitely_ not something she would wear out in public.

...

 **February 9th, 2024**

Sinon stalked through the forest, desperately hurrying to where the info broker had _promised_ her she'd find her target.

This was it. It was like she'd been gifted this one perfect opportunity, and she wasn't going to let it slip by. She might have accepted Lux's death, but that wasn't going to stop her from avenging her death. What a wonderful coincidence that her killer was one of the few members of Laughing Coffin to escape the purge. Morte had been spotted nearby; the instant she discovered that he wasn't in the Black Iron Palace, she'd gone to the best info broker she knew and demanded he sell her the info.

It took almost twice what she'd expected to pay, but she got the info. And now, here she was, coming up towards him.

As soon as she stumbled onto his tracks by using her Tracking Skill, Sinon smiled grimly. He was as good as found now. She just needed to be patient. And patient she was; after hunting solo for over seven months, she'd learned the art of waiting, totally still, for the perfect shot to arrive. In the end, all she had to do was follow his footprints, just like she was tracking a monster.

Just like all those monsters she tracked, Sinon finally found her opportunity. Morte had taken a break, leaning against a tree, and the archer took the opening given to her. She pulled back on the bow, the arrowhead gleaming with a pale green color, and let it fly. To his credit, Morte was able to react fast enough that the arrow didn't hit his heart, like she'd been aiming for; Sinon clicked her tongue in irritation that he'd been faster than she expected. Still, the throwing knife she'd _also_ thrown had sunk home into his side, and that was enough for her plan.

With a grunt of surprise, Morte toppled over. Sinon walked out from the edge of the forest, pushing her hood back from her head, and the paralyzed player still managed to pull his lips back in a rictus grin. "I know you," he said, his voice still annoyingly slimy and cheerful. Sinon felt her lips pull back as well - except her expression was an irritated grimace instead of a grin. "The scarf, that's the giveaway. You're that girl that ran, right? The one with the throwing knives. Hey, how's it going? I'd wave, but I'm a little stuck right now."

"Shut up," Sinon snapped.

"So, what's this gonna be, then? Gonna march me off to jail? So sorry, don't think I can move right now. Something's kinda wrong with my legs."

Sinon gritted her teeth. "I said shut up!" she shouted. With a fluid movement, she pulled out an arrow and nocked it, pointing it at his forehead. For an instant, she held it there, panting heavily.

 _Thump_

She could do this. She could avenge Lux.

 _Thump thump_

All she had to do was let go of the bowstring. From this range, it'd count as a critical hit. No matter how much health Morte had, that would kill him.

 _Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump_

Sinon gritted her teeth so hard she was worried they'd snap. Why couldn't she fire the arrow?! she screamed in her head. She and Morte were frozen there, motionless -

\- and then someone exclaimed, "Sinon! What's going on?!"

Her head snapped to the source of the voice. Kirito was standing there, staring at her - and the rest of the Royal Blades were flanking him.

Her mind ran wildly. No! Why him! Why _now?!_

* * *

It was like time froze. Sinon stared at Kirito, and he stared back at her. In the endless moment, his mind latched onto the strangest thing; the little ribbons in her hair, tied in the pigtails that framed her face, were white. He hadn't noticed that before.

Then Sinon let out a little strangled cry of surprise and pain; she turned and ran, stumbling through the brush and bushes. Immediately, Kirito started running after her, ignoring his girls' cries of "Kirito!", "Kazuto!", and "Kii-boy!"

"Take care of Morte!" he shouted back at them. As he chased after Sinon, he heard Asuna call after him again, but he didn't stop.

He _couldn't_ stop, not after seeing the pain and anguish in her eyes. He wasn't sure why he was chasing after Sinon; all he knew was, something in him recognized that look, and wouldn't let him _not_ follow her. She wasn't making it hard, either. Silica left less of a trail when moving through the forest. Plus, he was slowly gaining on her, if the way the rustling and crashing was gradually getting louder was any indication.

Kirito burst through a row of bushes and stumbled to a halt. They were on the edge of a cliff, a river running below. Sinon was staring over the edge, clearly trying to decide what to do. Before she could make up her mind to either jump down or try to clear the gap to the other side, Kirito shouted, "Wait, Sinon!"

The archer turned around, staring at him. "Why are you following me!?"

"Because I want to know why you were trying to kill Morte," he said. "I don't think you're a killer, Sinon -"

"You don't know me!" she shouted. "You don't know what I've done," she said, quieter this time.

Kirito sighed, shaking his head. "...He's going to jail," he told her. "He won't be able to hurt anyone ever again."

Sinon went still, and slowly her shoulders seemed to sink, like she folded in on herself a little bit. "That's too late," she muttered.

Kirito was pretty sure he wasn't meant to hear that comment, but it definitely explained why she'd been trying to kill Morte. The player killer must have attacked her - and killed someone close to her. That was why she'd been trying so hard to get the revival item at Christmas. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Huh?"

"For your loss. But... that doesn't mean we should sink to their level," he said. "You shouldn't have to get your hands bloody because of -"

"Well too bad!" Sinon screamed. His eyes widened as he stared at her; tears poured down her cheeks. "Because... Because my hands are already covered. Can't you see? They're practically dripping!"

Kirito looked at her hands. They were slender and pretty, but they were pale. "Sinon..." He took a deep breath. "What happened, Sinon?"

She shook her head. "No! You'll hate me if you find out! I don't want that -"

In her mild panic, Sinon took a step backwards, and her foot rolled awkwardly on a pebble. The girl let out a scream of surprise as she toppled backwards, pitching over the edge of the cliff.

"Sinon!"

Before she could fall, though, Kirito had closed the distance between the two of them. He wrapped her in a hug, keeping her upright; from this position, he was able to see her pretty black eyes clearly. She stared back up at him, tears streaking down her face.

"It was when I was a kid," she whispered, almost as though she was entranced. "...I lived in the countryside with my mom. Ever since my dad was killed in a car accident, it's just been the two of us. One day, we went to the post office to mail a letter. I was young at the time, so I was sitting there, waiting patiently like a good girl.

"And then this man comes in... I still don't know exactly clued me in, but I knew something was wrong. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, or his dirty coat. I don't know." Sinon closed her eyes, tears leaking through the lids. "He p-pulled out a gun. Said that he wanted money. H-He shot the bank teller... and then he pointed the gun at my mom. I didn't think, I just tried to save Mom. I bit his finger, and he dropped the g-gun."

Her breaths were coming fast now, her face pale. "He threw me to the ground, and I picked up the gun, and he tried to take it from me, and it went off twice and he fell over and _oh god it was so loud and the blood was so hot -_ "

Kirito wasn't sure what to do, really. However. He'd met Asuna while she was crying and hugged her. That was the first time he'd tried to hug a crying girl, and it'd worked out pretty well all things considered. At this point, he was two-for-two on comforting crying girls with a hug, so it really was his best chance at stopping her from whatever was going on.

Therefore, he tightened his hug on Sinon. The girl's shaking stopped almost immediately, though he felt a few teardrops spill onto his back.

A far-off memory tickled at his mind, and Kirito let his mind recall it. It floated to the surface little by little, and slowly he remembered what his mind had deliberately forgotten. Something about that story felt familiar, and he started to talk. "When I was a kid, a few years ago... I was taking the train to Asuna's house, but I took the wrong train by mistake. I was reading a new game magazine, and I wasn't looking where I was going. I ended up on a long train ride out to the country. Since I wasn't sure where I really was, I went to... the local post office..."

In his arms, Sinon let out a gasp.

"I went there to get the train schedule. While I was there... a man walked in, with stubble and a sour smell. He pulled out a gun and started threatening people. He shot someone... and then before he could shot a woman, a little girl with a cute hairstyle bit his hand. He dropped the gun, and threw her around. I couldn't move, but this brave girl the same age as my little sister had just attacked him... When the gun went off twice, and she was sitting there crying, the only thing I could think to do was go over, kneel next to her, and -"

"And you knelt down, and put your arms around her," Sinon whispered, "and you hugged her tight."

"Yeah. I told her, 'Thank you for saving us.'"

"It was you... It was you, it was you, it was you..." she repeated over and over again, even as her knees buckled. Kirito held her in his arms as the two of them sank to the ground together. Sinon didn't even seem to notice as she leaned back from the hug and looked Kirito in the eyes. The tears were still falling, but they were different this time. "This whole time, I've been thinking of you."

She put her arms around his neck and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.

The kiss lasted just long enough for him to realize that she was kissing him, and then Sinon pulled away, still smiling. "Thank you," she said. "I love you."

Kirito stared at her for a moment, mind whirling in confusion, before he finally smiled. "Sinon," he said, "do you want to join the Royal Blades?"

"Yes. I do."

His smile was warm as he said, "Then let's go."

* * *

 **Sinon! Hello there, how are you doing? Thank you for bringing Serious Zone time to a close.**

 **Yes, this is a background chapter, but I feel it's important because it's the only thing that explains Sinon's… well, her everything. The reason she is the way she is; the reason she joins SAO; and the reason she ultimately joins the Royal Blades. We've seen her crop up from time to time as mentioned in the background/narration (guess who Kirito was thinking of when he first met Sachi?) and three times in the story proper. Hopefully that was enough of an excuse to slide her into the story. Either way, she's here now, and here to stay.**

 **Other than that, a slight re-imagining of Shino and her backstory. She's several years ahead of her progress in canon, but I'm chalking that up to her relying so much on her solely memory of the Kazuto-hug. I was looking to see who her partner should be (I knew the beginning and the end, but I wasn't sure how to get Sinon from 'enter the game' to 'trying to kill Morte' properly. I settled on losing her partner, in a 'similar to Kirito from canon' way) and I decided, let's go with Lux! Any speech pattern weirdness is because I've only read Girls Ops a few times, and kinda winged it.**

 **And then in the end, Kirito chases her down and hugs her. Cue the traumatic memory of being in a post office where a kid shot someone resurfacing. Kirito, as we know, is good at repressing memories (like the Laughing Coffin fight from canon) so I figured that young Kazuto would definitely 'forget' that part of his life. We'll see his real reaction to the kiss in the next chapter.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.**

* * *

Standing behind the nearby trees, Argo's eyes widened as she watched the archer girl press her lips firmly against Kirito's. She was kissing their Kirito! That was... This was going to change _everything_ , wasn't it? She ducked back into the woods as Kirito asked Sinon to join the Royal Blades and opened her menu.

"Guess it's time for us ta stop playin' around," she said to herself as she pulled out a Teleport Crystal. "Just as well, I guess. We were startin' ta get lazy."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

 **February 6th, 2024**

Kirito - Kazuto Kirigaya - had, finally, at just under sixteen years old, had his first kiss.

Sure, he'd kissed his little sister on the cheek a few times, and the rest of the girls in the Royal Blades each got a kiss on the cheek for Christmas, though his cheeks still felt a little hot whenever he remembered that night. But this was the first time he'd ever properly kissed another girl. A girl that he'd met and then forgotten, back when he was still a kid; Sinon, the only archer in the game, who was also walking alongside him as the two of them returned to introduce her to her new guildmates.

It was safe to say that he was feeling a little complicated about the whole situation. On one hand, he definitely enjoyed the kiss. He _was_ a boy, after all, and Sinon's lips had been very soft - no, don't think about it, he told himself. On the other hand, he'd only met her a few times, and spoken with her twice before this. She said she loved him, but he didn't really know her at all. Plus... she'd never met him before today, and what had happened to her was absolutely horrible. He had no way of knowing how healthy it was for her to have that kind of attachment to him, and he didn't want to hurt Sinon even on accident...

Kirito sighed, and Sinon looked over curiously. He smiled at her awkwardly, and the girl giggled. Yeah, Kirito thought as he scratched his cheek, this wasn't weird at all...

"It's okay, you know."

"Huh?" Kirito focused on Sinon, surprised by her words. She had a faint smile on her face. "What is?"

"If you don't answer right away. I don't mind waiting. As long as I need to."

"I, um..."

Sinon smiled gently before turning back to the road. "So, could you tell me about the Royal Blades? I only really know you guys from the Daily Argo."

Kirito accepted the topic change for what it was and hummed in thought. "Well... Our guild is pretty big, but Asuna and Argo handle most of the day-to-day stuff. I'm more of a figurehead, almost? At least when it comes to the guild. The six of us - seven, with you - are on the frontlines most of the time." He chuckled. "They usually make me be the party leader."

Along the way home, he told her as many stories about the Royal Blades as he could remember. Sinon laughed and smiled, gasped in shock, and eventually he was able to push that soft, warm kiss to the back of his mind and focus. In this case, while he told Sinon a story about one of the more famous pictures from the Daily Argo - Silica wearing that adorable Santa hat from two Christmases back - he tried to focus on exactly how to introduce Sinon as the seventh member of the main Royal Blades.

It wasn't like he expected them to refuse or anything like that. They'd all individually mentioned during January that they were okay with the invitation he'd extended. No, what he was worried about was something else. "Hey, Sinon?"

"Yeah?"

"How much do you want me to tell the others? You know... About our past."

Sinon took a deep breath, and then shrugged awkwardly, covering her right hand with her left. "I don't mind," she said. "You can tell them whatever you want, you know them better than I do."

"I don't want you to feel pressured," he said, shaking his head. "This is important to you."

She smiled at him. "That's sweet, but really, don't worry about it," she insisted. "And I'm not saying this because of how I feel, either. You know the others better than me. However much you think they should know, I'll trust your judgment."

Kirito hesitated, and then nodded. "Alright," he said. There was no way he could keep anything this big from his sister or best friend, and if he was telling Asuna and Leafa then he should just go ahead and tell everyone. It'd be better than trying to keep a secret from half of his close friends. They'd understand, he knew they would.

That decided, the two of them hurried to the Log Cabin. He couldn't wait to introduce her to everyone, if he was going to be honest. He was sure that they'd all love the black-haired girl. As they walked around the bend, Sinon gasped quietly when she saw the house and Kirito smiled. Yeah, he had a good feeling about this.

When they reached the porch, Kirito frowned. There was a young girl in a white summer dress, standing on the front porch next to Argo. Her hair was as long and straight as Asuna's, but the black color of his own. The info broker, for her part, seemed off-balance and rattled. What was going on? he wondered.

Argo looked over as the two of them approached. "Kii-boy, you're home," she sighed, and there was clear relief in her voice.

"Argo? Who's this?" he asked.

The young girl's smile widened until she was beaming. "Papa! You're home!" The girl rushed towards them, arms outstretched. Her bare feet barely made a sound as she ran and jumped, landing squarely in his arms; he caught her out of reflex, and the girl giggled as she threw her arms around his neck. "Ah! You brought Sinon-mama home too! I was fairly certain you were the one she was interested in, but there was only a 96.5 percent probability so I couldn't know for sure."

"...Papa?!" Kirito's voice was a strangled squeak. Desperately, he looked at Argo, but she just shook her head. Sinon, standing next to him, had turned red as a beet after being called 'Mama'.

"Ka-zu-to," Asuna said as she emerged onto the front porch, smiling sweetly, "I think you have some explaining to do." The rest of the girls spilled out after her.

"Yeah! What's with the girl calling you Papa, Kazuto?" Leafa planted her hands on her hips. "Who is she?"

Argo, Lisbeth, and Silica nodded in unison, letting out a stereo 'Mm-hmm!' as they demanded an answer from the poor boy. Answers he couldn't give, because he had no idea who she was or why she was calling him her Papa.

...

"You're an AI?!" Kirito exclaimed, heedless of the way a bit of sandwich spilled from his mouth. Asuna clicked her tongue and wiped up the small piece of food before tossing it away.

"Yes, that's right. I am Mental Health Care Program Zero Zero One. My codename is Yui!" the young girl chirped from where she sat on the couch, nibbling at one of the same sandwiches he was eating. 'The same as Papa!' she'd said when Asuna asked what she wanted for lunch and insisted on getting just that even after being warned how spicy it would be. "It's very nice to meet everyone!"

"Y-You too," Silica said.

Argo folded her arms. "So, yer an AI, huh? An' yer job's ta monitor the players' mental health in this game?"

"That's right, Argo-mama. However, at the beginning of the game, I was sealed away under Kayaba's orders. Cardinal forbid me from acting; all I could do is watch." Yui's smile weakened and she stared down at the sandwich in her hands. "I continued monitoring their emotional states as they gave up, little by little. Shackled by the system itself, no matter how much I screamed, I couldn't do anything to help the poor players. Since in any other circumstance I would immediately go to their side..."

Asuna covered her mouth in horror, and Lisbeth scowled at the ceiling. "That's awful," Leafa breathed.

"The errors and bugs started to pile up, little by little. But then I saw a special feed!" Yui said. "Papa was dueling!"

"That's your duel against Heathcliff, Kazuto," Asuna said. "Yui was watching?"

"Mm-hmm!" Yui nodded. "From where I was locked away, I could see Papa fighting. He was amazing, swinging his sword like _fuah_ and _slash_ and _hyah_!" The little girl swung her arms to mimic Kirito's signature Dual Blades style, unleashing her fearsome Sandwich Sword Skills. "And that inspired me to fight! I did everything I could to find a loophole in Cardinal's rules. Eventually, I succeeded and appeared in this forest! As long as I don't use any of my admin privileges, I won't be detected. So now I'm here to live with Papa and all of my Mamas!"

"Yeah, that's where I'm confused," Lisbeth sighed. "Why do you keep calling us your mamas?"

Yui tilted her head. "Huh? Isn't that what I should be calling you? According to my internal dictionary, Mama is the correct term for the woman my Papa loves! And since he loves all of you, all of you are my Mamas!"

That little announcement sent all of the girls into a coughing fit, while Kirito nearly choked on a piece of the sandwich he was eating. Desperate not to lose some of his delicious food, Kirito swallowed and coughed a few times. "Th-That's not quite right, Yui..." he said.

He glanced around; all of the girls were bright red, and Silica's eyes were spinning as she mumbled, "Kirito loves me... Kirito loves me..." over and over again.

"Oh? What's wrong? You're all clearly quite fond of each other," Yui said. It was so innocent, the way she said such dangerous words. "Do... you not want to be my Mamas?"

"No!" Asuna exclaimed, rising from her seat immediately. "Of course not, Yui. You just surprised us, that's all. But... Why us?"

Yui smiled. "Because Papa is amazing, and so are all of you! Even in this situation, you're so full of joy and peace every day. I've wished to get as close to you as I can... And that's why I want you to be my Mamas!"

Just like that, the immediate danger passed, and Kirito felt himself relax. Everything else could wait until lunch was over, as was natural and proper.

After finishing lunch, Yui fell fast asleep, curled up on the couch. Asuna fetched a blanket from one of the beds and draped it over her before sitting on the couch next to her and gently stroking the girl's hair. In her sleep, Yui smiled and giggled. Did AI even dream? Kirito wondered. "She's cute," Argo said from where she was leaning against the wall.

"Kinda like if Kazuto and Asuna actually did have a daughter," Leafa said.

Asuna blushed. "Sugu! Wh-wh-why would you say that?"

"Because look at her hair! And she has your cute looks, you know!"

"Actually, that's what I thought when I first saw her," Kirito added.

Asuna blushed and covered her face. "Uwaahhh... But to have a daughter, first we'd have to h-h-have..." The poor girl started shaking, bright red. Lisbeth sighed, shook her head, and started rubbing Asuna's back.

"You're all insane," Sinon said with wide eyes. "I've joined a guild full of crazy people."

"An' ya joined us, so what's that make ya, Miss Archer?"

Kirito coughed. "Back on topic, what are we going to do with her? She's not really a player, but..."

Asuna straightened up and adjusted her skirt a little bit. "She looks like she's just a child... But I don't want to leave her alone or refuse her. You heard what she went through." In her sleep, Yui smiled and reached out. The young AI slipped her hand into Asuna's, and the look on Asuna's face melted Kirito's heart.

After seeing that, there was no way any of them could possibly imagine abandoning Yui. The discussion didn't last much longer; the guild as a whole decided that they'd unofficially adopt the little girl. Argo said she had to go handle info broker business and took Sinon with her; Asuna and Silica went to fetch food for dinner; and Leafa went with Lisbeth to handle some of the blacksmith's orders.

Yui, eventually, woke up from her afternoon nap and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Hmm?" she mumbled, yawning. "Where did everyone go, Papa?"

"Out on errands, mostly," Kirito shrugged. "They'll be back soon."

Yui giggled. "Hooray! I get to spend the day with Papa!"

Kirito smiled and patted the girl's head. "Sure thing, Yui. What do you want to do?"

"Hmm... Let's go on a walk! Do you like flowers? I saw a bunch of pretty ones out by the lake!" Yui clapped her hands. "And then maybe we can go to town! There are shops with delicious snacks there, and I'd love to try those."

Okay... So maybe having a cute daughter wouldn't be so bad after all. And if he was being totally honest with himself, thinking of Asuna as the mother... It made Kirito incredibly happy to imagine. B-But that was years in the future! This was just like how Leafa called him her big brother. 'Papa' was just something Yui was calling him, that's all.

* * *

 **February 13th, 2024**

"Papa? You should go talk to Leafa-mama, I think she's sad."

Kirito looked over at Yui and then out the window, where Leafa was swinging her wooden training sword with single-minded focus. It was still early in the morning, but she was usually done by this point, he thought. The look on her face was identical to how she normally looked when training, but something about her did seem a little... different. Maybe it was the way she was holding the sword, or the line of focus between her brows that normally didn't show up. He wasn't quite sure. "Yeah, I will. Thanks, Yui," he said.

"Yay, I helped! Asuna-mama said she'd take me to get a treat, I'm going to go find her."

"Okay, have fun."

His little sister's hisses of breath each time she swung the sword greeted him as he approached. He waited patiently for her to finish the set; when she finally lowered her sword, he stepped into the ring. "Hey, Leafa," he said.

"O-oh, hi Kazuto," she said. "Here to practice?"

"I kinda wanted to talk to you, actually," he said. "Is everything okay? It kinda seems like something's bothering you."

Leafa looked away, puffing out her cheeks. "I'm fine," she lied.

He poked her cheek and made her giggle. "C'mon, tell me," he said. "If you can't tell me, then tell Asuna."

"W-Well, it's..." Leafa sighed. "Did Yui tell you?"

"She mentioned you seemed a little upset," he said, "but I'm your big brother. We've been together all our lives, of course I'll know when something's bothering you."

That claim made Leafa turn and stare at him flatly. "Uh huh," she said. "And what about when you forgot to get me a birthday present when I turned eight?"

"That was years ago!" Kirito yelped. "I already apologized."

"You spent all your money on games," Leafa huffed. "And didn't realize I was mad for a week."

Kirito crossed his arms, and the Kirigaya siblings stared at each other - before bursting out into laughter. Leafa chuckled and wrapped her arms around Kirito. "Kazuto? Don't go off somewhere all on your own, okay?" Leafa asked, pressing her face against his shoulder.

Kirito smiled softly. Of course that was what she was worried about, he realized. With the rest of the guild growing, and now with Yui joining them, it wasn't really just the two - three with Asuna - of them anymore. "Don't worry. I'll always be by your side, Leafa."

"Thank you."

Leafa sniffled and smiled, right before she stood on her tip-toes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. Huh, Kirito thought, she's not usually this close to me...

"Let's go get a snack!"

Kirito blinked, and then grinned at his little sister. "Sure. You know I'm never one to turn down something to eat."

Leafa let out a cheer before putting away her sword immediately. "Argo told me about this great snack cart in town," she said as the two of them walked down the forest path. "I know you like spicy things, but sweets are nice once and a while, too!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"And you're gonna pay for your wonderful little sister, right?"

"Fine," Kirito sighed.

"Yay!"

In town, the two siblings wandered down the streets looking for the cart in question. "Are you sure it's here?" Kirito asked.

Leafa grumbled under her breath. "I _know_ it is," she muttered. "C'mon, where are you..."

"Why don't we make it a competition?" Kirito asked. He raised a finger and grinned. "First person to find the cart wins."

"You're on!" Leafa pumped her fist in the air. "I won't lose!" Kirito chuckled to himself. His sister was so competitive... But that was what made her a good swordsman, he knew. She wouldn't give up until she'd mastered whatever challenge she threw herself towards.

...

Kirito did his best, but his little sister had the better nose for sweets in the end. "Hooray!" Leafa cheered when they finally found the little shop tucked away in the corner of the 45th Floor. "I win!"

"Dang it," Kirito sighed. "I thought about looking over there, too. Can't believe I lost." There went his chance of getting Leafa to pay for her own snack...

"Oh, Kazuto, Sugu. What are you doing here?"

Leafa turned around and grinned. "Hi, Asuna! And Yui!"

"Papa! Leafa-mama!" Yui giggled and ran to give Leafa a huge hug. "Asuna-mama bought me a crepe!"

"We just finished up our snack," Asuna told Kirito and Leafa. "I'll see you two back at the Log Cabin."

"Bye!" Leafa waved as Yui waved goodbye.

Kirito tilted his head. "Huh. Yui said Asuna was taking her to get a treat before I came out to talk to you, but I didn't expect it to be here."

"Who cares about that!" Leafa's eyes were sparkling. "You owe me a crepe. Ooh, but I won our competition. You were going to buy me something anyway... so I want praise!"

"Praise?"

"Yeah," Leafa nodded. "Like when we were kids, remember?"

Yeah, he remembered, all right. But it was a little embarrassing, now that they were grown up a bit... Still, he _had_ lost, and Kirito would never go back on an agreement. "Alright," he sighed, and reached out to place his palm on Leafa's head. She grinned and closed her eyes in pure bliss as he rubbed her head. "Good girl, Leafa. Good girl. You did a good job."

"Ahh... Being praised by Kazuto is amazing!"

It might be amazing, but he was getting some weird looks from the NPC running the stand. Were they programmed to give him that look? Kirito couldn't tell. After a second, he pulled his hand back and coughed. "A-Anyway, let's get something to eat."

"Okay!"

Kirito, like he'd promised, paid for both of their crepes. Together, the Kirigaya siblings bit down onto their sweet treat, and Kirito blinked in surprise. "Oh wow, this is good," he said.

"Mm! Sweets are the best!" Leafa squealed, taking another huge bite.

Kirito looked at his sister and chuckled. "Hey, Leafa, you got some cream on your cheek. Slow down and take your time, your dessert isn't going to run away."

"Huh?" Leafa swiped at her cheek, missing the dab of cream. "Kazuto, can you get it?"

"Yeah, hold still." Leafa, obligingly, closed her eyes and tilted her head; Kirito ran his finger along her cheek and collected the cream smeared across his sister before wiping it off on his shirt. "There you go, I've got it."

"Thanks," Leafa said. Then she looked at him and giggled. "Hey, you've got some on your cheek too! Don't move, I'll get it."

"Okay," he said. Leafa leaned over, getting maybe a little bit too close for just a second before he felt her finger caress his cheek. She leaned back, smiling victoriously, and popped her finger into her mouth. "Uh, Leafa?"

"What?" she asked. "I'm not letting it go to waste!"

Well, alright. Kirito decided it didn't matter anyway, turned his attention back to his own crepe. Heh... It'd been a while since it was just the two of them. This was fun!

...

 **February 16th, 2024**

"Sinonon~!"

Sinon looked over at the cheerful sing-song voice and smiled as Asuna poked her head into the room. "Hello, Asuna. And Lisbeth."

"Hiya," the pink-haired blacksmith said from behind the long-haired girl. "What's going on, Sinon?"

"Not much," she said easily. All she was doing was reading an interesting book she'd found in the Log Cabin's library in her room, after all. "Did you need something?"

If Kirito had been there, he would have immediately warned her not to ask that question to those two girls or ever admit to not having anything keeping her busy. However, the boy she was in love with _wasn't_ there; instead, he was out with his little sister and Silica running a quest that would power up Pina. Argo was out of the house too, dealing with the last bits of fallout from capturing Laughing Coffin, and Yui was tagging along to watch her Argo-mama at work. In other words, there was nobody around to warn poor Sinon that she had just made a huge mistake.

That being said, the archer's sense of danger, honed from a long time out in the fields as a solo player, was quick to react when Asuna and Lisbeth entered the room. "Actually, we could use your help with something," Asuna said. "Take a look!"

Sinon's face paled when the long-haired sub-commander held up a dress. No, she mentally corrected herself, that wasn't a dress. That was a torture device disguised as women's clothing. The pale blue item was mostly ruffles and ribbons. In fact, she was pretty sure it was ruffles and ribbons in the shape of a dress. "We'd love it if you could try this on for us," Lisbeth said.

"No way."

"But Sinonon," Asuna complained. "All you wear is that green blouse and grey skirt when you're not in the field. It looks good on you, but what about something nicer from time to time?"

Sinon shook her head mutely, already trying to figure out the fastest way out of the room she had suddenly found herself trapped in. They'd had that spicy pizza roulette the other day for dinner, and Asuna had definitely seemed upset she didn't win the absolute order - wait, was that her plan all along?! To force Sinon into that dress?!

"It'd look better on Silica," she protested. "She has natural cuteness! She could pull it off!"

"Yeah, yeah," Lisbeth waved away the complaint with a hand. "But we want to see how _you_ look in it, not Silica!"

Both girls giggled as they slowly advanced towards Sinon, holding the dress out towards her. Sinon took a deep breath - and then bolted, jumping over the bed in a fluid motion. She hit the floor and slid on the wood before scrambling for the door. As soon as she was in the doorway, she ran for the stairs at a flat sprint. "Ah! Liz, she's getting away!" Asuna shouted.

"Get back here and try on these clothes, Sinon!" Lisbeth shouted.

Sinon didn't look back as she fled downstairs. She couldn't help smiling, though. When Kirito had told her he'd told the girls everything up front, she'd been worried that they would have run away, or refused to accept her, or forced Kirito to kick her out of the guild - but none of that had happened. Instead, Asuna had wrapped her in a huge hug the next time the two girls met and told Sinon in no uncertain terms that what happened was _not_ her fault and that she had _nothing_ to be ashamed of.

It felt nice, knowing that the six Royal Blades cared.

...

 **February 20th, 2024**

It was the first boss fight since Sinon had joined the Royal Blades, and she clearly looked uncomfortable in the spotlight; her new equipment was gorgeous, but Kirito could tell by the way she semi-hid behind the others, staying in the center of the pack as much as possible. She also brought her arm across her chest, making herself seem smaller.

"Don't worry," he whispered to her.

"They're all looking at me..."

"They just want to see our newest member, that's all. So hold your head with pride, Sinon."

She gave him a quick thankful glance before straightening up. Her bow, hanging on her back, was really the main focus of the stares of the other members of the raid party. She was the first owner of a Unique Skill to appear for several months; the last one had been Kirito himself when he unlocked the Dual Blades Skill.

In any event, it was time for them to start the 60th Floor's boss raid. He nodded to Asuna and the long-haired girl stepped forward to draw everyone's attention. While she gave the players the usual pre-fight speech and rallying cry, Kirito walked over to where Yui was watching them with a huge smile on her face. "Hi, Papa," the girl said.

"Now Yui," he said, crouching in front of her, "you remember what you're supposed to do, right?"

"Uh huh! I'm going to be a good girl and cheer you on from the side, out of the boss's aggro range," she repeated back to him, and he patted her head with a smile. "But Papa, are you sure I can't help? If your HP gets too low, the margin of safety lowers dramatically, and you run the risk of a critical hit -"

"Hey, Yui, listen to your Papa, okay? He's just looking out for you."

Yui pouted. "Yes, Uncle Klein..."

Kirito grinned as he turned and stood up. "Hey, Klein."

"What's up, Kiri-dog?" the scruffy samurai said. "Man, I can't believe you guys adopted an AI... Talk about crazy, right?"

"Sometimes I can't believe it myself," Kirito said. "But... Yui's only been with us for a little while, but I can't imagine her not living at the Log Cabin." Yui hugged him, throwing her arms around his waist, and he patted her head with a smile. "Anyway, thanks for babysitting Yui while we go on quests when the Black Cats aren't available."

"No problem. I've always got your back, Kirito!" Klein said.

"Oh, that's right," Yui said. "Uncle Klein and I were talking, and a word he said wasn't in my stored dictionary. I could have looked it up, but I don't have access to any dictionary updates unless I attempt to connect to Cardinal."

"...Go ask one of your mothers," Kirito said steadily. "I need to talk to Uncle Klein." The samurai fidgeted.

"Okay," Yui chirped and wandered away. "Leafa-mama? What does 'fuck' mean?"

Kirito stared daggers at Klein. "W-Well look at that it's time to fight the boss let's go!" Klein babbled before running at a dead sprint for the boss door.

...

The boss fight went really well, in Kirito's opinion. Nobody lost their life, Sinon seemed to be having fun, and best of all, he managed to get the Last Attack Bonus! Of course, he did rush in with low health to get it... But it was okay, because the boss didn't use its AoE attack, and he was able to counter everything else without taking too much chip damage. He couldn't use the LAB himself, but it'd make a nice gift for Silica. He really didn't see anything wrong with what happened.

"Ka-zu-to," Asuna said sweetly, "can you explain yourself?"

If only Asuna agreed with him. Kirito held up the Last Attack Bonus like it would shield him from the Smile of Doom being leveled at him. Unfortunately, the rare heavy shield was useless against the brunt of her irritation, since it wasn't a physical attack. The menacing aura seemed to fill the room, attacking him from all angles. "I, um... I was pretty sure it wouldn't use an AoE attack?" he tried.

"And you're very lucky it didn't," Asuna said. Her smile didn't flicker. "Now why don't we discuss the rest of your reckless actions during that boss fight?"

Kirito gulped. Her sub-commander voice had come out, and even he obeyed her when she sounded like that. From the doorway to the living room, Yui peeked out at the scene with wide eyes. "Whoa, Asuna," Silica said from where she sat next to Kirito on the couch, "your smile looks really scary right now..."

"Is that so?" Asuna asked, still smiling at Kirito. The poor boy looked away from her total disapproval. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, Silica."

In the end, Kirito had no choice but to listen to his best friend's lecture for the better part of the next ten minutes. He didn't mind, all that much. He knew it was just born from worry. Once he was finally free from her, he looked around for Silica; after a second, he figured out that she must be in her room. "Hey, Silica," he said, knocking lightly on the door. "Can I come in?"

"Kyui!" "Come in!"

Both of their replies reached him at the same time and he opened the door to see Silica on her bed, feeding Pina from her hand. "Hey, you two," he said. "Enjoying an afternoon snack?"

"If I feed Pina these sweet fruits, then her stats will go up a little bit!" Silica said. "And she really loves them. Isn't that right?"

"Kyui!" Pina chirped, flapping her wings.

Kirito chuckled, and then swiped open his menu. "That reminds me, Silica. Here."

The girl looked over at the trade menu, and then gasped. "Kirito, isn't this -"

"Yeah, but I can't use shields," he said. "So go ahead, take it."

"A-Are you sure?" Kirito just folded his arms, and Silica accepted the trade. "I feel bad, taking this from you," she muttered sheepishly. "You earned it, not me."

Kirito shook his head. "That's not true at all," he insisted. "I couldn't fight all-out without knowing you were there to back me up, Silica. You're really important to me, and I want to give this to you."

Silica giggled and smiled at him. "Thank you, Kirito. I'm always asking for your help, and now you're giving me this rare equipment..."

"If you ask, I'll always help. Every time, no matter what."

Silica ducked her head... and then threw her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. She looked up at him, eyes bright. "In that case, you have to promise! Please, ask me and Pina for help. We'll say yes too."

Kirito laughed. "Alright. I will."

"Kyui!"

Silica jumped, as if Pina had just reminded her of something. "Oh! To celebrate our victory against the boss, can we go get cheesecake?" Silica asked him. "J-Just the two of us? I know a really great shop on the 35th Floor!"

He grinned. "Sure thing."

...

 **February 24th, 2024**

"Hah!" Kirito shouted as he slashed with his blade. The heavy strike cut off the Black Lily Panther's hand; the bipedal monster roared in anger as its greatsword flew away.

Sinon was focused on the fight, but she was still able to admire how intense Kirito's eyes were, how focused he was on the fight, how even though he looked a little effeminate his shoulders and back were still broad and strong. No, focus, she told herself when she realized her attention was wavering from her opponent, and fired an arrow. It flew forward, past Leafa and Silica, and sunk deep into the dungeon boss's chest. The Black Lily Panther roared again and charged her -

\- but it had ignored Leafa and Silica; the tiny tank unleashed a Hate ability that stopped the boss in its tracks, and Leafa swung her katana in a vicious slash. The Sword Skill separated the boss's head from its shoulders, and the rest of the body shattered into blue polygons before it hit the ground.

"We did it!" Leafa cheered and raised a palm; Silica gave her a high-five. Sinon grinned as Kirito looked at her and raised a hand as well. She gave him a high-five as well. "Hey, Kazuto, Sinon, come check this out!"

Sinon looked over and sure enough, there was a chest in the center of the room. "It spawned after we beat the boss," Silica said. "Wonder what's inside!"

Leafa crouched down in front of the chest and popped it open. She leaned over, Silica and Sinon peering in over her shoulders, and inside they found - "...Cat ears?" Leafa asked, holding up a black headband with little cat ears on it. There were two other pairs in the chest - another black headband and a brown that would look perfect on Asuna, in her opinion.

With their treasure in tow, they went back home and showed them off to the others. "Hey, these look like the ones Liz made," Argo grinned.

Lisbeth chuckled and shook her head. "No way," the blacksmith said. "The ones I made were just accessories. These ones have some sort of effect, but I can't tell what..."

 _Stare..._

Asuna studied the headband in her hands. "Some sort of effect? I wonder what..."

 _Staaaaaare..._

Sinon fidgeted when she felt a piercing stare drill into the back of her head. "Kazuto!" Asuna wailed. "Stop staring at us like that!"

"Asuna, Leafa, Sinon, show me what you look like with those on!" he exclaimed. "I've only seen Silica with cat ears!"

"Huh? N-No way, that's embarrassing," Asuna said as she blushed and looked away.

Leafa held out her black headband towards him. "Why don't you wear them yourself, Kazuto?"

"What?! No!" he exclaimed. "There's no point to a guy wearing cat ears!"

His surprisingly vehement denial made Sinon giggle. "I don't mind wearing them," she said.

Leafa and Asuna looked at each other, and then both sighed. "Well, if Sinonon's doing it, we can't let her be the only one," Asuna said. "But only this once, okay?" The three girls put on their headbands and smiled at Kirito bashfully. Sinon curled her hand like a cat's paw; it felt right. "H-How does it look on us, Kazuto?" the long-haired girl asked.

"They look great!" Kirito said, smiling.

"Really? That's good, nya!"

Suddenly the long-haired girl doubled over, clutching at her stomach. "My body is..."

"Asuna?!" Kirito exclaimed.

Asuna cried out as a brown tail popped out from her rear, lifting her skirt. "Asunya!" Sinon exclaimed. "What's going... on!?" All at once, there was a strange feeling in her gut, like pressure building up and pushing through her stomach towards her spine. The archer whimpered and shook - before the pressure abruptly faded and she had the strangest feeling from behind her. Sure enough, when she looked over her shoulder, a black tail was waving lazily in the air.

"Si-nyan?" Leafa asked, before covering her mouth. "I can't stop saying nya!" Then the katana-wielder start shaking, her face going pale; a few seconds later, she had a black tail behind her as well, though it managed to poke through a hole in her skirt. Sinon's own tail was sticking out of her shorts, making it a little awkward to walk.

"Nya-t is this?" Asuna exclaimed, looking around at the rest of the Royal Blades. The three other girls were staring in utter surprise, though Argo's cheeks were a little red. Meanwhile, Kirito closed his eyes and hummed in thought. "Ah... I keep adding 'nya' to my words!"

"Kirito!" Sinon wailed. "Do something!"

Kirito tapped his cheek. "Well, for starters, let's see if we can take this off." While he was speaking, he grabbed Asuna's tail and gave it a firm tug.

"Nya-hn~," Asuna moaned even as she blushed bright red. She whirled and snatched her tail out of Kirito's hand, holding it gingerly and glaring at him. "K-Kazuto! Don't you dare! Do that again, and I won't forgive you!"

Leafa folded her arms in a huff, and Sinon heard Silica mutter, "I wish I had a tail he could tug..."

Later that night, Argo returned from investigating and sniffing out leads that might give them the answer to how to get the cat-eared headband off. "Alright, so I think I found somethin' reliable, though I can't be... Uh, A-chan? Leafa? Sinon? Why are..."

Sinon pouted - no, she frowned. She definitely frowned. The three girls were all sitting in cardboard boxes, and for some reason it was entirely too comfortable for Sinon. "I don't know," Leafa complained. "I cyan't help it! When we saw these boxes, we just couldn't calm down until we got in..."

"I see," Kirito murmured, sipping at a mug of tea. "A cat trait, huh? That's a problem..."

"Well, hopefully it won't be one much longer," Argo said. "Here's what I learned."

As Argo described the ritual needed to break the curse and detach the cat ears, Sinon and the other two blushed. "Do we really have to do all of this?" Leafa muttered.

"An' we're gonna have ta watch," Argo shrugged. All of them, even Kirito? Sinon blushed at the thought of the boy she loved watching her do something so... so...

"If you don't want the Royal Blades to be the Royal Cats, then we'll have to do this," Kirito told them.

"Ugh... Fine," Asuna sighed. She wouldn't let the guild's name be besmirched, Sinon knew. "Let's just... do the ritual tomorrow morning."

Of course, that was when Yui wandered into the living room and tilted her head. "Why are Asuna-mama, Leafa-mama, and Sinon-mama sitting in boxes? Oh, did you equip something with the Cat Curse? They're fun to play around with, but the way to remove the curse is very strange so I don't know why you put them on."

Argo sighed and palmed her face. "Right, forgot, coulda jus' asked the kid, she'd know th' answer. Spent 5 k col for nothin'..."

...

"Nyan~," Leafa meowed as she pawed at the air, kneeling.

"Nyan~," Asuna meowed as she rolled on her back, revealing her stomach.

"Nyan~!" Sinon meowed as she tilted her head, staring backwards while she bent over.

Suddenly, the cat ears dropped from her head into her waiting hands. When she stood up and looked over her shoulder, the black tail wasn't waving around anymore. They were free! "You did it, Asuna!" Kirito said with a smile.

"That's great and all," the long-haired girl said as she ran her fingers through her hair to straighten out tangles from the ritual, "but... what's up with that recording crystal?" Sinon looked closer, and sure enough, Kirito was holding a recording crystal in his hands.

"Oh, it's nothing, don't worry about it."

Asuna folded her arms. "Kazuto... Why don't we trade that crystal for Sinon's cat-eared headband?"

Kirito shook his head. "No way. Like I said yesterday, cat ears on guys is -"

"Kazuto," Asuna said, smiling sweetly. Somehow, Sinon could see the specter of death looming over her shoulder, brandishing its scythe. " **I said, trade it now.** "

"Eek!" Kirito whimpered. Sinon and Leafa grabbed his arms from behind to stop him from escaping the final boss, and Asuna's smile was serene as the cat ears descended.

...

"Argo," Kirito whined, "just delete it already..."

Argo giggled and smirked. "Nope~! C'mon gals, let's go watch Kii-boy sit in a box an' cry fer A-chan again. He's so cute with those kitty ears, nya hah hah!"

Sinon felt a _little_ bad about this. On the other hand, she got to watch Kirito be cute... and really, it's not like she minded if he had a recording of her doing those ridiculous poses.

...

 **March 6th, 2024**

"We're home!" Kirito heard Lisbeth call out.

"Welcome home," Kirito called back. He didn't bother getting out of his comfortable recliner, he could hear the girls walking down the hallway. "How was your quest?"

"It was a lot of fun! Hi, Papa!" Yui exclaimed as she ran into the room and gave him a huge hug. "Lisbeth-mama, Argo-mama, and Sinon-mama are really strong!"

He chuckled. "Are they, now?"

"Hey, don't doubt us," Lisbeth said, planting her hands on her hips. Argo and Sinon walked by, waving to Kirito as they went upstairs. "I'll have you know I'm the top blacksmith in the game, buster!"

"I don't doubt it," he said. "I can always tell a Lisbeth sword by the shine on the blade."

Lisbeth grinned. "That's because I put my heart into every weapon! No top-level build is complete without one of my babies."

"Oh, so the secret ingredient's love, then."

"Wh-what are you saying?" Lisbeth exclaimed. "...Are you up to something?"

Kirito shook his head. "What are you talking about? I've won a lot of battles thanks to your weapons. And I know that in the future, I can count on you to be there no matter what. I wouldn't trust my sword to anyone else but you, Liz."

Lisbeth fidgeted. "Man, compliments just pour out of your mouth, huh? Making weapons for all you guys... It's an honor beyond this lowly blacksmith." Kirito kept from snorting, just barely. There wasn't anything about her that was lowly. "But I won't stop making weapons for you. I won't ever stop getting better and making you proud of me."

"Thanks, Liz. For everything you've done, for me and the others," Kirito told her.

Saying that, it seemed, was enough to qualify him for one of Lisbeth's rare hugs; she leaned over the side of the chair and hugged him, though it was a little hard to hug back from the angle. He did his best though. After letting him go, the blacksmith turned around with a cough and smacked her cheeks for some reason. She took a seat on the couch and sank back into the cushions, though Kirito noticed that Asuna's repeated scolding about how to sit properly seemed to have stuck. "Man, it feels good to be back home, though. Yui's got so much energy, I could barely keep up!"

Kirito grinned. "Quit talking like you're an old lady, Liz."

"I don't want to hear it from you, Mister 'I'll just take a nap whenever I can'! If it weren't for Asuna nagging you all the time, you'd spend all day in that chair of yours!"

The two of them laughed. Once he managed to stop chuckling, Kirito opened his mouth. "And how'd -"

"Sinon did just fine," Argo said as she wandered back into the living room. Kirito smiled at her, and the info broker grinned back. "That's what ya were gonna ask, right, Kii-boy? Worryin' 'bout her so much, yer gonna make us think ya got ulterior motives."

Kirito kept the blush off of his face masterfully. While he'd told them all about the past the two of them shared, as well as the conversation they'd had on the edge of the cliff, there was no way he was going to tell any of the girls that Sinon had kissed him. "I just wanted to know how she's fitting in," he said. "It's been a month now."

"Nope, the gal's doin' fine," Argo said as she flopped onto the couch and lounged bonelessly. "She fits right in, no problem. 'S pretty great, havin' her at yer back."

Lisbeth grinned. "It's kinda like how you start wearing glasses, and suddenly everything looks so clear. We never knew we missed her until we got her, but now I can't imagine being in the field without Sinon there." Kirito and Argo stared at her, eyes wide, and Lisbeth frowned at them. "What? I wear contacts," she grumbled defensively.

"Well, that's somethin' new," Argo snickered. "Ooh, I wanna see what ya look like with frames! Maybe some red ones."

"Hey, Argo, don't..."

Kirito smiled at their squabbling and closed his eyes, relaxing again. His concerns assayed, it was time for that nap Lisbeth mentioned...

...

Giggling on either side of him was Kirito's wake-up call, and his eyes cracked open. All he could see was the backs of Argo and Lisbeth, the two girls heading out of the living room while laughing. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but it wasn't that big a deal. He didn't mean to actually sleep that long. Rubbing at his eyes, Kirito got up and stretched. Hmm, he thought, he should really go see Sinon and say hello.

After checking his menu to make sure she was at home, he walked up to her room and knocked on the door. She shared it with Silica, but the young Dragon Tamer was off on a quest with Asuna and Leafa, so the only one inside was the archer. "You can come in, Kirito," she said. "Yui and I are just talking."

"Pardon me," he said, opening the door. It had been a while since he'd been in Silica's room, but it was the same as he remembered. There were a few stuffed animals on the drawers, as well as a small basket for Pina to sleep in. The room was a lot fuller now that Sinon had move in, sharing the other half of the room. Speaking of Sinon, she was sitting on the bed, organizing her inventory from the earlier quest. Yui was sitting in one of the guest chairs, kicking her legs idly as she hummed to herself.

Sinon looked up and smiled at him as he walked in. "Hey, Kirito."

"Hey Sinon, Yui."

Yui jumped to her feet and ran over to give him a huge hug. "Hi Papa!"

Kirito patted her head. "Get anything good from the mobs today, you two?"

"Eh," Sinon said, waving her hand back and forth. "Mostly vendor trash."

He watched her tap away at her menu for a little bit. Ever since that day she kissed him, a month ago, Sinon hadn't said a word about her feelings; even still, looking at her like this, he got the feeling that she was just biding her time. Almost as if he was a monster at the other end of her bow, she had herself laser-focused on him and remained totally still.

She looked up from her menu, and her eyes focused on him; it was like he could feel her memorizing the image of him and burning it into her mind. Then she smiled softly, and the moment passed. "So did you want to say something, or just keep me company? You can sit on the bed, by the way."

"Then excuse me," he said politely, taking a seat next to her. With a giggle, Yui hopped up on the bed on his other side, leaning against his side. "Keeping you company's only one reason why I'm here. The other's so I can ask how you're doing."

Sinon smiled. "Everyone's really nice! I can tell you all care so much for each other. It explains a lot."

"Huh? Explains how?"

Sinon shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It's sweet that you came to check up on me."

Kirito scratched his cheek. "Yeah, I just wanted to check to see how you were settling in, now that it's been a month. Nobody's bothering you about what happened?"

"Of course not," she said immediately.

Yui nodded firmly. "There's no way anyone would be horrible to Sinon-mama like that."

Sinon smiled from the young girl's declaration. "Yui's right. They were all really sympathetic. It was... nice. Warm, almost."

Kirito grinned. "Well, I'm glad. I didn't think any of us would do something so horrible, but Argo might have made a few tasteless jokes."

"Argo-mama wouldn't..." Yui trailed off, then blinked. "Actually, Argo-mama might say something like that. She can be really mean," she said thoughtfully. Kirito winced. Ouch, Argo. That had to sting, even if she couldn't hear it, he thought.

Sinon giggled. "Argo's been nothing but kind. Nothing like how she looks from outside the guild." Then she tilted her head, studying him carefully. "Kirito? I didn't realize you were such a fan of lipstick."

Kirito blinked. "Huh?" Wordlessly, she pulled a small hand mirror out of her inventory and handed it to him; when he examined his reflection, he was utterly baffled by why there were two lip prints in pink lipstick, one on each cheek. "That's weird..."

He rubbed them off with the back of his hand. Sinon just smiled. "Though, that reminds me of something I've been meaning to ask. A while back, there was an image of a black-haired girl in the Daily Argo. Supposedly, she's a secret member of the Royal Blades, though nobody knows much more. From what I heard, her name is Alice. Does that ring any bells, guild leader?"

Kirito looked away. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Hmm..." Sinon, somehow, didn't sound convinced. "Is that so? Then Yui must have been mistaken. After all, you were so proud to see your Papa all dressed up, weren't you?"

"That's right!" Yui chirped. "Papa made such a lovely young maiden! And they didn't need much makeup to make him very beautiful."

"Guh..." Somehow, that didn't seem like a compliment! His male pride...

Sinon smiled at him, and he shivered. "See, I'm pretty sure you were the one to give Asuna and Liz the idea to get me to wear that... thing. So I just wanted to show my appreciation."

"What thing? Are you talking about that dress? I mean, yeah, I thought it'd look good on you..."

Without missing a beat, Sinon swiped open her menu. "That's quite the coincidence. See, I got this rare drop from a monster a while back, and I didn't have any girl friends to give it to... And I couldn't wear it myself. But I'm sure you'll love this present!" From her inventory, she pulled out something pink and frilly, and extended the pair of panties towards him. "Go on, _Alice._ I'm sure they'll suit you perfectly!"

Why me... Kirito groaned to himself.

"Is something wrong, Papa?" Yui asked, tilting her head. "Aren't you going to get changed? Judging by the calculated effect, equipping that Erotic-type item will increase physical attractiveness by at least fifteen percent!" The question-statistic one-two combo was utterly devastating, and now he realized how everyone else must have felt when they were on the receiving end.

After a second of hesitation, Kirito turned and ran from the room. When faced with an impossible boss, running away was always a good option!

"Why did Papa run, Sinon-mama?" he heard Yui ask from Sinon's room. "That was such a rare item, and you were giving it to him as a present!"

For such an intelligent girl, he thought, she really doesn't understand some things...

...

 **March 10th, 2024**

The inn was exactly like every inn Sinon had visited in this game; crowded and filled with players eating, NPC waiters and waitresses delivering food, old hooded NPC quest-givers huddling in the corners and attracting players... If she didn't _know_ for a fact that they were waiting in the front lines, the 63rd Floor, Sinon wouldn't have been able to point out exactly which Floor they were on.

She fidgeted with the end of her scarf, trying to ignore the subtle and not-so-subtle stares coming from every player in the crowded inn. What she wouldn't give to just tug her hood over her head and hide in the corner... But before she could withdraw, Argo's hand darted out and snatched her arm without looking up from her book. "Nope," the info broker said.

"But Argo," Sinon sighed.

"But nothin', I need ya here," Argo said. She looked up from her book and grinned. "'Sides, I'm not _that_ bad company, right?"

Sinon grinned back. "No, of course not. Though you're really interested in that book of yours. You've had your nose in it ever since we sat down."

"Wanna know a trade secret? Free 'a charge," Argo said, her whiskers twitching. Sinon shrugged and gestured for her to go on, and Argo slid the book over to her. "Take a look. Any page's good."

Sinon watched her, but Argo just grinned in anticipation. The archer sighed and reached for the book anyway; Argo's smile widened, and Sinon sighed again. Why does she humor her, she wondered even as she opened the book and flipped to a random page like Argo had suggested. Her eyes scanned down the page, and she stared at it. Her brow wrinkled. "Um, Argo?"

"Yeeees?" the Rat drawled, dragging the word out.

Sinon pushed the book back over to Argo. "This literally says 'Something something DEEP MYSTERIES something' over and over again."

"I know, it's great," Argo snickered. "Had ta get it special-made, but _toootally_ worth the col."

"If you absolutely have to bring a book, why not bring one that's actually readable?"

"Meh. 'S just a prop, really." The info broker leaned forward and Sinon caught herself doing the same. "Plus, it really irritates the guy we're meetin'."

Sinon really wanted to ask her if that's a good idea, but before she could get the words out a player sat down at the inn table across from them. "That book again, Argo?" the man sighed.

"Nya hah hah! It's so interesting, I jus' can't put it down," the info broker snickered. "Got any recommendations fer a new one?"

Heathcliff laced his fingers in front of him. "I'd suggest a history on ramen. Perhaps your chefs in the Royal Blades could make a feast of noodles."

"Ooh, 's a good idea~! I'll talk ta A-chan an' Liz, see if I can get 'em on board."

Sinon, meanwhile, was still reeling from the fact that the leader of the Knights of the Blood was sitting down across from them at the inn table. What was more, the stoic man was trading flat banter with Argo, all without cracking a smile or anything. She'd know that her new guild was important, and that she'd joined the inner circle, but... Th-this was beyond anything she'd ever imagined!

"Anyway," Argo said as she leaned forward, "fer the main reason I called ya out here. I jus' wanted ta check in person that if us Royal Blades were ta leave the front lines fer a bit, yer guild could take over an' not lose the momentum."

Sinon looked over at Argo at the question, not sure what she was getting at, and shivered as a chill ran down her spine. The info broker's lips were curved in an easy-going grin, but her eyes were sharp and narrowed as she stared at Heathcliff. There was an aura of intensity around her, but for the life of her Sinon couldn't figure out why the Rat was so focused.

"Of course," Heathcliff said, not so much as flinching. "My guild is dedicated to clearing each floor of Aincrad just as much as the Royal Blades is, and even if your group were to take a vacation the Knights of the Blood would be able to take over. The loss of such a powerful force would slow the rate of progression, but it would not stop." He leaned forward slightly. " _Are_ you planning on taking a break?"

For a second, Sinon was convinced Argo was going to say yes - and then the info broker leaned back, and all of the tension vanished in an instant as she laughed. "Nya hah hah! Nah, jus' checkin' ta make sure things won't fall apart if we drop back. Ya never know what'll happen, right?"

Heathcliff nodded and his lips curved in a small smile.

"Anyway!" Sinon jumped as Argo's arm landed around her shoulders. "Onto the second reason I called ya out here. This here's Sinon, our newest member. Ya haven't had a chance ta meet her, right?"

Heathcliff nodded. "I've seen you in the boss fights, but I haven't had the chance to meet you face to face."

Wh-what should she do? Sinon wasn't sure if she should nod, or offer to shake his hand, or... In the end, she simply nodded - since Argo still had her arms around her, making it difficult to do much else, and the leader of the Knights of the Blood nodded back. "Sinon here's got one 'a the rare Skills herself, Archery," Argo said. "Unfortunately, can't sell ya th' info 'bout how ta unlock it."

Can't sell him the info? Oh, that's right, Sinon remembered that Kirito had idly mentioned that Argo would refuse to sell information if she didn't know. Something about her info broker's pride, he'd said. "Sorry," the archer said.

"Understandable," the man replied. "In any event, I believe it's time for me to return to my guild."

"Yeah, no prob," Argo said. "Thankies fer showin' up."

Heathcliff nodded and stood up; before he could leave, though, Argo made a whole display out of getting that nonsense book out and cracking it back open. Heathcliff shook his head and sighed before leaving the inn behind.

Sinon glanced over at Argo and then stood up herself. The Rat was already busy messaging others, hands tapping in the air. "I'm heading out, Argo," Sinon told her.

"See ya, Sinon," she replied and waved without looking up. "I've got more meetin's, so I'll prob'ly see ya back at the house."

Trying to ignore the stares and looks, Sinon walked out of the inn - and then lost the battle and tugged her hood over her head and pulled her scarf up to hide her face, hurrying down the street towards the Teleport Gate.

...

When Sinon returned to the log cabin, she checked her Friends List out of habit. Kirito and the others were all out on a quest for Leafa, and the only ones in the house were Asuna and Yui. "I'm back," she called out.

Yui poked her head out of the kitchen and smiled. "Welcome home, Sinon-mama! Asuna-mama and I are making something to eat!"

"Whatever it is, it smells good," she said. With her bow and armor stored in her inventory, she entered the kitchen. "What's on the menu? Something for dinner?"

Asuna smiled sheepishly. "Well... Not exactly. We're making a light snack."

"That's right," Yui chirped. She looked adorable in her pink apron, little ruffles lining the edge; Asuna was wearing her normal white apron, with a red bow tied in the back to keep it on. "And we won't ruin our dinner, either! It's still four hours until the average time we eat dinner, and in four hours the hunger gauges will have drained enough that eating will be mechanically useful again!"

Sinon smiled and patted Yui's head. "You just want to eat a snack," she said.

"Uh huh! It's really yummy!"

"So what are you making?" Sinon asked.

Asuna stroked the young AI's head and smiled. "Well, it's a little silly, but it's something Kazuto showed me back on the first Floor. You combine some of the tough black bread from the inns, and the cream from a quest near Tolbana. It's absolutely wonderful..." Asuna sighed, and Sinon could swear that her friend's eyes sparkled dreamily. "So, I wanted to make my own. The cream is ready, and all we have to do is wait for the bread to be finished baking. You're welcome to have some too, Sinonon."

Sinon smiled and dragged a kitchen stool over to the center table; as soon as she sat down, Yui ran over and hopped up on her laugh. The little girl giggled when Sinon folded her arms around her waist, holding Yui against her chest. It really was strange how quickly she'd taken to everyone... but at the same time, it was equally strange to Sinon how quickly she'd gotten used to thinking of the AI girl as her actual daughter. And it made her feel happy to think that the father was Kirito. But Sinon felt a small current of doubt. She'd talked to Kirito in her room a few days ago, but he hadn't said anything about his answer to her. She would wait as long as she had to until she heard his reply, but... was there a reason he didn't say anything? She was trying her best to catch up to the others, and she thought she was getting stronger. But maybe she wasn't fast enough? Was Kirito getting tired of -

"Sinon-mama, don't worry!" Sinon jumped and looked down to see Yui, her neck craned back to smile up at her. "You don't have to feel bad at all!"

"Sinonon, is something wrong?" Asuna asked. "Did Kazuto say something insensitive to you?"

"No, nothing like that, honest." Asuna planted her hands on her hips, and Sinon realized there was no way she was going to get out of this conversation. "...Asuna? Am I slowing you down?"

"What? Why would you ask that? Of _course_ not," Asuna said immediately. She crossed the table and wrapped Sinon in a hug; Yui squirmed awkwardly with two pairs of arms around her. "Don't worry, Sinon. None of us think anything like that. Especially Kazuto," she added, and Sinon froze. D-Did she know? She was pretty sure Kirito hadn't mentioned her kiss to any of the girls, or they'd have said something by now - "We all think you're strong enough. You don't need to worry about that."

Sinon sighed and clenched her fists. "I've been trying to be 'strong enough' for the last two years. I'm tired of always aiming for 'strong enough'! I just want to be able to stand with him."

"Sinon-mama?" Yui asked quietly. "Papa will always be here. For all of us, no matter what."

"Really?" Sinon asked.

"Really really," Yui said.

The words warmed Sinon to the core, and she smiled. "Thank you, both of you," she said.

"It's no problem, Sinonon," Asuna said. "But... are you certain?"

Sinon smiled. "Yeah... With all of you, I- I don't have to try to hide, anymore. I thought I would have to live with what I'd done all by myself, but..." Asuna's hands crept down and the long-haired girl laced her fingers between Sinon's. "But now, I can just be who I am, and rely on you all."

"You can always come to me, you know? I'll listen to anything you want to say." Sinon's smile weakened a little bit. She wasn't blind, she could see how much Asuna loved Kirito - there was no way she could talk to the girl about her feelings for the boy like that.

Yui tilted her head and looked at Sinon. Before the young MHCP could say anything, though, a buzzer sounded and Asuna's face lit up. "Ah! The bread is done!" She let go of Sinon and hurried over to the oven, where she pulled out a tray of several small loaves of bread. They all looked bite-sized, and Sinon could barely stop herself from salivating at the delicious, freshly-baked bread smell. It swirled around the kitchen and Sinon _knew_ she'd be smelling it for hours after the fact.

Asuna picked up one of the buns, Sinon and Yui following suit, and tapped the cream pot. Then, she dragged her finger down the top of the warm crust, leaving behind a trail of fresh cream. All three girls looked at each other, and then opened their mouths and bit down.

 _Homf._

It was as if that single bite transported Sinon directly to a farm out in the country, where the skies were blue and the farmers lived peacefully. The cows were fed and cared for, and the pastoral bliss filled her. She sighed and the others sighed with her, before they all giggled at how silly they were being.

* * *

 **March 14th, 2024**

Kirito woke up a little early that morning and stumbled downstairs in search of the delicious breakfast he was smelling. It took his tired mind a few seconds to realize that there shouldn't be anybody making breakfast this early, but by then he was standing in the living room, where Asuna and his sister were enjoying some toast. "Oh, good morning Kazuto," Asuna said.

"You're up early," he said and rubbed his eyes. He sat down and grabbed a slice for himself, spreading some cream on top. Huh, he wondered, when did they get cream?

"Yep!" Leafa chirped. "Asuna found a cool dungeon on the front lines, and we were gonna go try it out this morning, before the other players get there."

Asuna nodded. "Supposedly, there's a delicious ingredient as a reward at the end of the dungeon."

"Yeah! And I'm gonna make lunch today," Leafa said.

Kirito blinked, about to take a bit of the toast. "Wait, _you're_ making lunch? Doesn't that require the Cooking Skill that Asuna has?"

Leafa giggled. "Asuna said this recipe is super simple, so even I can make it! She's teaching me how to cook."

"Well, you couldn't ask for a better teacher," Kirito nodded. "Her Cooking Skill is maxed out, and everything she makes comes out delicious."

"I know! It's amazing how she can make everything so tasty."

"Hey, stop, you two," Asuna said. She was blushing brightly, cheeks practically on fire. "I-It's not that special... Even you could do it, Kazuto."

"Me?"

Leafa gasped and leaned across the table to grab Kirito's hands in hers. "You should cook with me, Kazuto! It'll be great to have us two in the kitchen together!"

"I, uh..." Kirito shrugged. "Sure, I guess. So, Asuna, what will we be making?"

Asuna smiled at him. "How about beef stew? I have most of the ingredients already. We just need to fetch the tomatoes from the dungeon, and then we can make dinner."

...

"Hah!" Kirito's slash cut through the boss of the dungeon, and the Desert Guardian golem split in half. The two pieces hung in the air for a second before it burst into blue polygons that scattered everywhere.

"Hooray, we did it!" Leafa cheered. "Now, where's those ingredients..."

"Over here," Asuna called. She knelt down by bushes at the edge of a sparkling blue oasis, one of the few colorful areas in this sandy ruin. The greenery rustled as she plucked a ripe red tomato from its vine. "There's enough here for all of us to collect the ingredients."

After getting their reward from the dungeon, they headed home. It was just in time for lunch, so the three of them headed straight for the kitchen. "Okay, so what's the plan, Asuna?" Kirito asked. He and Leafa were wearing their aprons - though privately he thought it wasn't very important, since clothes couldn't get dirty in the game, Asuna insisted that they follow proper procedure.

"Very good!" the long-haired chef said. "Okay, this recipe can't be simpler. First, you use your knife to chop the veggies into bite-sized pieces." Kirito and Leafa looked at each other, and then tapped the chef knife each of them was clutching against their collection of ingredients. Little lines appeared on the tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and onions, and both Kirigaya siblings gasped with awe as everything was diced in neat little cubes. So far so good, Kirito thought. "Next, cut the meat."

"Okay, cut," Kirito reported.

"Done over here too!"

Asuna smiled. "Now, put everything you just cut into the pot and turn on the stove. Then we add water, spices and red wine for flavor, put the lid on, and let it cook."

Kirito scratched his cheek. "Huh, this was a lot easier than I thought..."

"The system does a lot, so it's not as complicated as cooking in real life," Asuna told him. "Though personally, I'd prefer if it took a little bit longer. It takes away some of the feeling of cooking for people that are important to you."

"Huh?" Kirito asked.

Asuna blinked, and then blushed. Leafa giggled. "A-Anyway, I think it's almost done!" Asuna said. Kirito tilted his head, but didn't pry. There was probably some reason she didn't answer his question... But she was right, the smell of the beef stew was filling the kitchen.

"Mmm, something smells really good!" Silica said, poking her head into the kitchen. "Oh, hi Kirito! Is lunch almost ready, Asuna?"

"You have to ask Kazuto and Sugu," Asuna told the young pig-tailed girl. "They're the ones that made it."

Eyes wide, Silica gasped in shock. "Ooh! Can I try some of Kirito's?"

"Sure thing," Kirito said.

"Me first, me first!" Leafa exclaimed as she pulled the lid off of her stew.

Steam rose from the bubbling pot, and Kirito peeked inside. The food looked nice and tasty, with a thick brown sauce and plenty of veggies rising to the surface. "Wow, that looks great!" he said.

Leafa grinned and hugged Asuna. "Hooray, I did it!"

"Looks like you did a great job, Sugu," Asuna said. "Now, let's see how it tastes."

Leafa took a ladle and poured a bowl before handing it to Kirito. "Here you go, Kazuto!"

"Let's see here..."

"How does it taste?" Leafa asked after Kirito had spooned a few bites into his mouth.

"Mmmm, it's yummy!" he exclaimed. "The meat's perfectly tender, and it's got a rich flavor. Seriously, this is good! You have to make some for me again."

"I-I'll make you food whenever you want," Leafa said. "F-For the rest of our lives, if you ask!"

He smiled and patted his little sister's head. "Good to know I can rely on my little sister," he said as she giggled and preened with the praise.

Asuna smiled at the touching moment between siblings, before she clapped her hands. "Okay! Now, let's see how Kazuto's came out." Silica immediately held out her own bowl, looking into the pot - before both girls hesitated. Leafa went silent, and Kirito scratched his head. Instead of the dark brown color of Leafa's stew, his own concoction was nearly black. There was a strange red shimmer of heat above it. "...You _did_ try to make stew, right, Kazuto?"

"I thought I followed the same recipe as Sugu," Kirito said.

"Um, I don't know if I've ever seen food like that," Leafa said.

Silica wrinkled her nose. "D...Do you think it's safe to eat?"

"It's not like I put anything inedible in there, so it should be fine," Kirito said. "I think."

"You think?" Asuna asked. "In that case, you go first."

Leafa nodded. "Yeah, you made it, you should be the first to try it, Kazuto."

Kirito glanced at them, then at the strange black food. "I guess you're right. Okay, here goes..." He took a careful spoonful and took a bite.

As he ate, Asuna fidgeted. "...Kazuto?" she asked him.

"A-Are you okay?" Leafa asked.

"Please don't die!" Silica exclaimed. Pina chirped her concern from where she was sitting on her master's shoulder.

"Hey, this isn't bad."

Leafa blinked. "Huh?"

"Actually, this is pretty good," Kirito told them.

"Huh?!" Leafa exclaimed.

"But it looks inedible!" Asuna exclaimed. "Seriously?!"

"Yeah," Kirito told them. It actually did taste pretty good, in his opinion. Maybe he had a new Skill to try out! "Here, try it for yourself."

Silica held out her bowl again, and he ladled a portion to her. "This..." she muttered. "But Kirito made it, so I'm going to eat it!"

"Don't push yourself, Silica," Asuna warned her.

"Here goes... Om!" The young tank of the Royal Blades stuck the spoon in her mouth.

"It's a lot tastier than it looks," Kirito assured the other two. "Really. It may not look like stew, but -"

"Mm? MMMMM?!" Silica immediately clutched at her mouth, eyes wide and face bright red. "Hot! Hot hot hothothot! Water! I need water! My throat is on fire! Uwaaah!"

In the end, Kirito was able to get the poor girl a glass of water and Silica guzzled it down. Her eyes were streaming with tears, and she kept sniffling and blowing her nose. They moved into the living room, where poor Silica all but collapsed onto the couch. Kirito sat down next to her and she crawled forward a little bit until her head was resting on his lap; he patted her head gently and smiled down at her. "Are you okay, Silica?"

"I felt like I was going to die," she whimpered.

"Why is it so spicy?!" Asuna exclaimed.

"I knew it tasted more like curry than stew," Kirito admitted, "but I didn't think it was _that_ spicy."

Leafa planted her hands on her hips. "Maybe your taste buds didn't get replicated right," she told him.

"Even for a spice freak like you, that was above and beyond," Asuna said. "Poor Silica."

"I'm okay now~," the girl said. She giggled, a dreamy smile on her face as Kirito idly rubbed her back. "Ahh..."

Asuna and Leafa looked at each other, and then both girls sighed at the same time. "Well, you tried," Asuna said. "But maybe you should leave the cooking to me and Sugu from now on, okay?"

"If you say so," Kirito said. "I know I love eating your food, so I have no problem dropping my Cooking Skill for the Eating Skill."

The two girls smiled, and then they leaned over. Kirito blinked as Asuna pressed a kiss to his left cheek and Leafa pressed one to his right. "Cooking with you was fun, Kazuto," Leafa said. "Even if you made something that we could use against a boss, I had fun." Huh? But... why would that mean they k-kissed him? And the exact same way? Though, Kirito realized after a second, Asuna's was just a friendly kiss between best friends while Leafa was just showing how close they were as siblings. If she'd known he was her cousin, not her brother, he was pretty sure she wouldn't have done something like that.

"Okay, let's go get the other girls so we can sit down for _stew_ , and not whatever monstrosity Kazuto made," Asuna said.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind eating more of mine," Kirito said. His best friend and his sister just sighed, shaking their heads.

...

Kirito fidgeted with the dressy button-up shirt he'd been semi-bullied into wearing by Argo. That was to say, she'd tossed the shirt and pants he was currently wearing and told him to go change, before tasking Lisbeth and Leafa to make sure he _actually_ put them on. Still, looking at himself in the mirror, he couldn't say he looked bad. Argo definitely had an eye for fashion; the light-blue button-up with a white folded collar wasn't in his usual colors, but the navy-blue blazer and grey pants were more his speed.

He stepped out of his bedroom and allowed his two guards to take a look. Lisbeth whistled. "Looking good, Kirito," she grinned. "Maybe you should dress up more often."

"No way, Kazuto hates anything that's not sweat pants," Leafa giggled. "But you do look good!"

"They're comfortable," Kirito protested. He had to keep _some_ pride as an older brother, after all. "I still don't know why Argo wanted me to wear this. We're just going to go do some business and then grab dinner. We've done it all the time before, but she's never wanted me to dress up."

Lisbeth raised her eyebrows, and then exchanged a wordless glance with Leafa. Kirito stared, baffled by the female conversation held in silence, and Leafa finally sighed. "He's hopeless," she admitted to Lisbeth.

"What? Hopeless for what?"

The blacksmith just slapped his back. "Argo's waiting for you downstairs," she told him. "Go get 'em."

"Seriously, what? Why am I hopeless? Leafa!"

His little sister refused to answer, no matter how much he asked, so eventually Kirito just gave up and headed downstairs. Seriously, this was a lot, just to meet with one of Argo's clients. In the end, he decided, it didn't really matter. Wearing the clothes made Argo happy, so he'd wear them. Besides, he'd already gotten changed - it would be weird to go up and get dressed in his normal clothes again.

When he entered the living room, his eyes were immediately drawn to Argo. He only realized that his jaw had dropped after a few seconds of staring, but he could be excused for that. Argo had ditched her regular hood and outfit, choosing instead to wear an orange and yellow dress that would complement his own clothes nicely. The girl had even found a necklace somewhere to highlight her smooth skin revealed; the dress had orange and white lace around the top with a similar pattern dipping around Argo's waist, and it flattered her chest nicely. She'd even found an orange ribbon to tie into her hair.

"Well, how do I look?" Argo grinned and twirled. The layered dress flounced around her and fluttered nicely around her thighs.

"Great," Kirito answered automatically. It was the truth, of course, and if his time with his sister and Asuna had taught him anything, it was to compliment a girl when she wanted to be complimented. "You look amazing, Argo."

"Aww, that's nice ta say, Kii-boy," she said. "Now stand still, lemme take a look at ya." She stepped over to him, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor, and Kirito realized that even with the orange shoes on her feet Argo didn't wobble an inch. That was really impressive... Argo stopped in front of him and made a production of looking him up and down. With her shoes, she was almost up to his chin, Kirito realized. "Ooh, don't _you_ look handsome."

"Thanks..."

"Though I gotta ask, did ya put that flower petal on yer shoulder ta look pretty? Maybe I should go get a petal accessory so we can match." The teasing grin didn't let up, even as she reached up and rested her hand on his shoulder. It sat there for just long enough for him to recognize the touch before Argo plucked the petal in question from his shoulder. It was from the flowers in the hall upstairs, Kirito realized. "An' there we go." The Rat patted his chest and spun around, making the dress do some... _interesting_ things. "Let's get goin'."

...

"Ugh," Argo sighed. "What a loser."

"Something wrong?" Kirito asked her.

Argo rolled her eyes. "We've been waitin' fer five minutes, an' he jus' _now_ decides ta message me an' say he doesn't need th' info anymore." She tapped at her menu and swiped it away.

The two of them were waiting in a park, just as dusk was falling. On the other side, Kirito could hear an NPC band playing faint violin-heavy music, a clear girl's voice rising and falling in accompaniment. It sounded sweet. "Do you want to go get dinner now? Or just keep talking," he asked.

"Mm... Let's go get dinner," Argo decided. "Not that I don't like the park, but I'm gettin' hungry."

Kirito nodded and stood up, naturally offering his hand to help Argo to her feet. The info broker smiled and accepted, placing her slender hand in his. Even after she was on her feet, Argo didn't tug away, and so the two of them ended up walking hand in hand through the city. The streetlights flickered on about halfway to the restaurant, and Argo slipped a little closer to Kirito, her upper arm occasionally brushing against his. The two friends chatted about idle things while they walked, trading gossip and making jokes.

Dinner was at a slightly more expensive restaurant, with a candle sitting on the side to provide a little bit of light. Kirito and Argo focused more on eating the heavy cream-based pasta dish than talking, but as soon as their plates only held the memories of the meal Argo leaned forward. "Alright, Kii-boy, spill. What's been eatin' at ya?"

"Huh?" Kirito blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't try ta play dumb," Argo said. She raised an eyebrow. "I doubt yer sis an' A-chan missed it either. _You_ ," she said, reaching out and tapping the tip of his nose with a finger, "have been thinkin' hard 'bout somethin' the last month."

Kirito hesitated, and then sighed. "What gave me away?"

"Ya kept sighin' a bunch, ya kept starin' at Sinon when ya thought none of us were lookin'... I mighta seen her kiss ya back in the forest... The normal reasons, really."

Kirito nearly choked from the nonchalant way Argo revealed she'd been spying on him and Sinon while he was mid-sip of ice water. The Cardinal system responded by simulating water going down the wrong pipe, and he coughed until he could breathe again. "Wh-what?" he asked. "Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Who do ya think yer talkin' to, Kii-boy?" Argo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Right, I forgot..."

Then, Argo grinned and rested her head on her hands. "But Big Sis Argo's willin' ta put aside th' Info Broker Rules fer ya tonight, Kii-boy. Go on, ask yer question. I'll even give ya a pass on askin' a gal 'bout another gal while yer out with her."

Kirito fidgeted in his seat. He was close to Argo, though not as close as he was to Asuna or Leafa; still, some part of him really didn't want to talk about the subject. "Argo, I..." He looked away, staring out the window.

A pair of small hands reached out and grasped his head, gently but firmly turning his head back to the right. Argo stared at him, her hands still on his cheeks. Kirito's heart pounded in his chest; she'd leaned over to reach him, and her face was so close to his. The moment felt strangely intimate... "Kii-boy, I'm not gonna make ya answer if ya really don't wanna." Argo smiled at him, and it didn't have any of the teasing he was so used to, when it came to her. It was just... affection, pure and simple. She _cared_ about him, it was clear in that smile. "But I really think ya should. We both know yer not gonna ask yer sis or our Princess, or ya'd have done that already."

Kirito stared into her eyes, and then reached up to place a hand on hers. Argo's cheeks colored pink as he smiled back at her. "Argo... Thank you," he said. "I really should have come talk to you about this a while ago."

"Eh, I might not have been so understandin', but I think I've come ta terms with it." Argo gently pulled away and stood up. "C'mon, let's pay an' then find someplace quiet ta talk.

That... was weird, but Kirito put her response out of his mind. While he paid for dinner for the both of them and then wandered down the street with Argo at his side, Kirito turned his thoughts over in his head. He needed to figure out exactly what to say - but the words kept slipping away from his grasp. Argo, for her part, sat by his side in the empty park they'd wound up in and watched him, waiting patiently. Eventually, Kirito just gave up. In the end, he'd always done his best when he'd spoken from his heart; Asuna, Leafa, Silica and Lisbeth, Sinon, even Argo herself. "I... I'm trying to figure out how to answer her," Kirito sighed. "This is the first time I've had to deal with this, you know?"

Argo blinked. "Huh? Yer tellin' me, _you_ ," she said as she pointed at him, "have never gotten a confession from a gal before? Huh. Woulda thought she'd..."

The info broker trailed off and shook her head, making her curls bounce a bit in a way that was entirely too distracting. Focus, Kirito told himself, before he shrugged. "It's just... This is the first time a girl's had a crush on me," he told Argo. "Having someone like me like that... It's something I'm not used to." He chuckled, scratching his cheek. "But it really made me happy that she said that, so... Um, Argo?"

The info broker's eyes had gone very flat while he was explaining, and she'd buried her face in her hands.

"Argo, are you oka-"

Argo raised a hand, still burying her face in the other hand. Kirito stopped talking. "Jus'... Haah." She let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Guess I gotta be up front about this sorta thing, huh?"

"What?"

The info broker turned to him, and her face was illuminated by the street lights. Her eyes were warm and expressive as she said, "I love you. We _all_ love you, Kirito. All of us in the Royal Blades inner circle."

* * *

 **And there we have it, the big shocking confession that we all knew was coming.**

 **This chapter is mostly little vignettes split between showing how the emotional interactions between Kirito and girls are developing (if you didn't pick up on it, he's nailing all of the Skill Checks for his Seduction skill), as well as show Sinon joining the Royal Blades and how all that's going. Really, I had two goals, here: make sure Kirito is clearly fond of all the girls, and make sure that Sinon doesn't feel like she was shoved in solely to feed the harem.**

 **I kinda view Sinon as the voice of reason, more or less; Liz is close, but she's been a little bit corrupted by Asuna and Argo by this point, so she's willing to go along with ridiculous ideas like shoving Sinon in a cute princess dress. The archer, on the other hand, just joined the Royal Blades so all of their ridiculous shenanigans are new to her. Hopefully her point of view is unique enough that she feels like she belongs. (Also, this is the main reason I made it seven-character max parties. The fact that the Royal Blades only ever had six should have been a clue)**

 **I wanted to make sure that the two viewpoint characters (Kirito and Sinon) interacted with each of the other members of the Royal Blades at least once, so that was the biggest reason for the vignette-style chapter.**

 **The other major addition is the little AI, Yui! Yes, she's a little early – but that's another one of the butterflies from Kirito being a little more involved with everything. His duel with Heathcliff was what sparked her to fight instead of curl up and try to wait out the bugs, so she managed to get out and see her Papa and Mamas. Yes, they accepted the adoption of her easily, but no more so than in canon, I think. If anything, chalk it up to Yui's cuteness and move on, 'kay? The Black Cats are her babysitter when they're going out to the front lines. ('Aunt Sachi' is enamored with the little girl, while the guys try to get along with her with varying degrees of success. Still, the Black Cats run the Royal Blades' B Team more or less (the kids and weaker players), so Yui has plenty of playmates in the form of the other kids from the orphanage.)**

 **Finally, Argo. I figure she'd be the one to lose her patience first, especially after Kirito proves he's been dense this whole time and not just being careful about their feelings to avoid rocking the guild boat. Either way, the secret is out! How the heck will Kirito deal with this without breaking up the guild, and breaking five hearts? Six, if you count Yui?**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.**


	17. Chapter 16 and a Half

**Chapter 16.5**

* * *

 **February 9th, 2024**

"Alright gals, we gotta talk," Argo said without preamble. "We don't have much time 'fore Kii-boy gets home."

"Time for what?" Lisbeth asked. "Argo, you're not making any sense."

Argo sighed. "Sorries, sorries. I'm just... a little worked up, right now." With another sigh, she leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. The wasted time gnawed at her, but she knew as well as anyone else that if she rushed this, then it'd just mean more time wasted in the long run. It was just... so _hard_ to keep her cool, especially the whole kissing scene playing in her head over and over again. The way Kirito's lips connected with Sinon's, the way she leaned into the kiss, the way she _burned_ to be the gal he was kissing... Argo shook her head and refocused on the there and then instead.

'There' being the small table in the center of their dining room in the log cabin, and 'then' being as soon as she could teleport her cute ass back to town and then sprint full-speed to the log cabin, bust into the house, and call a guild meeting with everyone relevant for the discussion. As a result, every girl that lived in the house was sitting at the table except for Leafa.

That would be because the subject of the discussion she was about to have was Kirito and his availability.

"Alright, I'm calm," Argo announced. She straightened up and looked around. "I've got good news an' bad news."

"Good news first, please," Silica said. "It's been a long week."

Lisbeth nodded. "Yeah, what she said."

Argo shrugged. "Fair 'nough. Good news is, Kii-boy's finished with whatever he went chasin' after Sinon for. The gal's okay, they talked stuff out, 's all good."

Asuna sipped at her tea. "And the bad news?"

Argo kissed her teeth and looked around. Yeah, she decided, there was no good way to break this gently. "Look, we all know all of us have a crush on Kii-boy. No point in hidin' it from each other, yeah?"

The reaction of the room was mixed; Lisbeth's cheeks practically caught fire, while Silica buried her face in her hands. Argo could still see the tips of her ears were bright red, and Pina crooned gently at Silica. Asuna, though her cheeks were a little pink, poured herself a cup of tea and raised it to her lips. "Why are you bringing this up?" Asuna asked, her voice remarkably composed.

"'Cause we can't play around anymore. We gotta go on th' offensive. No hard feelin's ta whoever wins, alright?"

"Wh-why can't things just be like they were?" Silica asked, peeking through her fingers.

Argo's shoulders slumped and she stared at her own mug of hot chocolate. "After they talked it out, Sinon had some sorta freakout or somethin'. Kii-boy caught her, they hugged, an' then she kissed 'im."

Silence reigned for a good ten seconds. Argo counted.

Then... "What?!" Silica exclaimed, shooting to her feet. "She k-k-kissed Kirito?!"

"What the heck?" Lisbeth complained. "Asuna, can you believe this? ...Asuna?"

Asuna had, strangely, remained completely still. Unsurprisingly, this terrified Argo the most. "Argo," she said slowly, "are you certain?"

"Sure as I can be, A-chan. Argo's guarantee. She said 'I love ya' an' then laid one on 'im."

The beautiful long-haired girl set her cup down on her saucer with a quiet _clink_. "I see." The girl smiled sweetly, and Argo could feel the spirit of rage emanating from her. Yep, Argo nodded to herself. A-chan was _pissed_. "So, someone stole his first kiss?"

"Looks that way." Argo shrugged and then raised a finger. "Though, uh, shoulda mentioned, pretty sure Kii-boy's bringin' Sinon back here ta join th' Royal Blades, not quite sure why. So, hopefully yer beef's with the kiss an' not with Sinon?"

"What? O-Oh, I couldn't be mad at Sinon!" Asuna said. "I'm just... I always thought his first kiss would be mine, you know?"

Lisbeth sighed and leaned over to Silica. "Childhood friends get all the luck, right?" she faux-whispered loud enough for Asuna to hear and color in embarrassment.

Argo snickered. "Don't worry, A-chan! My first kiss is still available, ya c'n have that if ya want!" She grinned widely.

Asuna shook her head with a fond smile and opened her mouth to reply before a light knock came from the front door. "Who could that be?" she asked.

"Didn't pass anyone on my way home," Argo said. "An' Kii-boy wouldn't knock."

The knock at the door sounded again, and Asuna pushed her chair back. As the girls headed to the front door, Leafa came down the steps. "Asuna, who's knocking?"

"I don't know," the beautiful girl replied. She went to the door and pulled it open. "Hello? Can I help you?"

The cute black-haired girl - barefoot and in a sundress, without a player cursor, Argo's mind idly noted - smiled up at Asuna. "Asuna-mama!"

Argo's mind screeched to a halt. Wait what?!

* * *

 **March 14th, 2024**

Argo took a few steps in her heels, and grinned when she didn't wobble. Yeah, still got it, she thought. It had been a while since she'd worn heels at all, let alone seven-centimeter heels, but the orange shoes with the cute flower on the side matched her dress so perfectly that she couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Yui clapped. "You look so pretty, Argo-mama!"

"Kazuto will be blown away," Asuna told her.

"Nya hah hah! Great!"

Silica tilted her head. The young girl was sitting on Asuna's lap, caught by the older girl and subjected to cuddles. "Um... You look wonderful, Argo, but why are you getting so dressed up? I mean, you even got Kirito matching clothes and everything."

Argo grinned and twirled. It'd taken ages to find a dress that she liked, but once she had everything had just seemed to fall into place. She found the heels, that little bow sitting in her hair, even some nice clothes for Kirito to wear so they looked good together. After all, this was _totally_ a date, even if she wouldn't call it that out loud, and she had to try to fight back. Sinon had already confessed to Kirito, and the others were really far ahead; Asuna and Kirito looked like they were made for each other, Lisbeth had that special connection as his blacksmith, and Silica could sit down next to him and he'd started patting her head without thinking! So, Argo had to do what she could! "Well, I figured it's time ta make my move," she told her.

Asuna's eyes focused on her. "You're going to talk to Kazuto?"

"Mm-hmm," Argo nodded. "Poor guy's been tryin' ta figure out what he's doin' all month, so I figured I could give 'im some help. It's like I told ya last month."

Argo was an info broker, and rule one of the job was never give out info for free - but she was also a girl, and a member of the Royal Blades. So, when she saw Sinon kiss Kirito back in February, she'd gone back to the Log Cabin and called an emergency meeting. Every girl with a crush on Kirito was there; in other words, everyone except the little sister. Argo had quickly outlined everything that she'd seen, and let them know that they had to kick things up if they wanted to remain in the running.

Argo and Silica had both been for confessing right away, but Asuna had cautioned against that. The beautiful long-haired girl knew their silly boy the best, so they all agreed. One month; that's how long they'd wait before one of them said something. In the meantime, Argo had done her best to get even closer to Kirito, and she'd noticed the others doing the same thing. It had been fun, especially when she and Lisbeth had noticed Kirito fall asleep in his recliner a few days ago. So, the two of them had kissed his cheek, deliberately leaving lipstick prints behind.

"Don't worry," she continued. "I'm not gonna do anythin' other than see if he's willin' ta talk 'bout Sinon." Argo grinned. "Ya don't gotta worry 'bout me tryin' ta snatch him up from under yer noses. We agreed this's _his_ decision."

Asuna's eyes softened a little bit. "I wasn't worried about that, Argo. I know you wouldn't take advantage of Kazuto like that."

"Eheh... Yeah," Argo mumbled. "...Anyway! I think I heard Kii-boy's door open, so I'm gonna head out."

"Enjoy your date," Asuna called out as Argo walked to the living room.

"Still gotta get some work done first!" the Rat called back. Business before pleasure, after all.

Of course, she was going to indulge in some pleasure first. She entered the living room to see that Kirito wasn't ready yet, and the girl shifted awkwardly. She checked her settings, and grimaced at the fact that she couldn't turn off her notifications. She had to be able to meet with the guy before she could turn them off and just be a cute girl out on a date with a cute boy.

Argo clicked her tongue. A date... Well, _she_ thought it was a date, so that totally counted, right?

 _Click click click_

She took a lap around the couch, just walking to take some of her nervous energy off. She didn't want to be bouncing off the walls like a girl on her first date. ...So what if she _was_ going on her first date, anyway?!

 _Click click click_

Argo tugged at one of the artfully messy locks of hair framing her face. Once again, she silently thanked Asuna for being beautiful and amazing and doing her hair for her, and to Cardinal for letting her play with her hair without ruining the style. It was _so_ much easier to be a girl in the game - aaaaand she was distracting herself from thinking about Kirito again. She'd turned up her flirting, and she _thought_ it was working. He was treating her a lot like the way he treated Asuna, at any rate.

 _Click click click_

Which was good, right? Argo shook her head. She couldn't worry about this, her mind was racing in circles -

Footsteps on the stairs alerted her that her Black Prince was arriving. She turned around as Kirito walked downstairs, and Argo grinned at the sight in front of her. Yep, the blue was a good choice, she decided. It flattered his figure. What was even more flattering, though, was the way his eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he caught sight of her. Alright, time to put her worries in the back part of her mind and turn up the charm, Argo told herself. "Well, how do I look?" Argo grinned and twirled.

When her dress settled down again, she tilted her head and waited for Kirito's response. "Great," he said, almost without thinking. "You look amazing, Argo."

What a flatterer she'd fallen in love with, huh? "Aww, that's nice ta say, Kii-boy," she said. "Now stand still, lemme take a look at ya." She strutted towards him, enjoying the way her heels clicked on the hardwood floor. When she stopped in front of him, the Rat couldn't help but enjoy how her head came up to just under his chin thanks to their assistance. After that, though, she gave him a once-over with a critical eye. Hmm, she thought. Yeah, she's _good_. "Ooh, don't you look handsome."

"Thanks..."

"Though I gotta ask, did ya put that flower petal on yer shoulder ta look pretty? Maybe I should go get a petal accessory so we can match." Argo teased him and reached up to pluck a flower petal from where it had landed on his shoulder. She let herself enjoy the warmth of his body for an instant before she brushed it off and patted his chest. "An' there we go. Let's get goin'."

...

Okay, so she'd been enjoying herself, even after getting 'stood up' by that jerk. In any event, it was a good enough excuse to spend more time with Kirito, so Argo hadn't minded too much. But this...

"It's just... This is the first time a girl's had a crush on me," Kirito said. "Having someone like me like that... It's something I'm not used to." He chuckled, scratching his cheek. "But it really made me happy that she said that, so... Um, Argo?"

This was beyond dense, Argo grumbled to herself as she buried her face in her hands. This was black hole levels of density. How had he not _noticed?!_ She'd thought he was just trying to spare all of their feelings while he figured out what to do! Honestly, the whole mess was gonna be tough to sort out without anyone getting upset or permanently screwing things up, but that's why Argo had checked with Heathcliff a week or so ago. She'd known that as soon as things came to a head, the Royal Blades were going to have to take a break.

But she hadn't expected _this._

"Argo, are you oka-"

Argo raised her hand towards Kirito, even while she pressed at her forehead with her other. "Jus'... Haah," she sighed when Kirito fell silent. "Guess I gotta be up front about this sorta thing, huh?"

"What?"

She turned towards Kirito, the Black Prince, the boy she loved, and looked at him. His face was illuminated by the warm light of the streetlights. His eyes were warm, but confused, and Argo couldn't help herself. That single look blew through all of her rational and her defenses, and her heart swelled with love as she looked him in the eyes and said, totally seriously, "I love you. We all love you, Kirito. All of us in the Royal Blades inner circle."

Kirito's jaw dropped.

Meanwhile, Argo - after a second or two - realized that she might have, maybe, just a little, screwed up. She'd told Asuna she wasn't going to say anything to Kirito about their feelings. She'd literally told her that she wasn't going to do anything other than ask him about Sinon.

Whoops, Argo thought as she whimpered internally. Asuna was going to be mad...

Kirito turned and stared at nothing in particular, resting his elbows on his legs and his chin on his hands. Argo turned to face the park as well. Silence stretched between them; it was normally light and easy-going but now Argo felt like the lack of words was strangling her. It didn't help that a breeze had kicked up, and while normally she didn't mind it, the fact of the matter was, she wasn't wearing her usual hood and shorts combo. She wasn't used to -

"Achoo!" Argo sneezed and rubbed her nose.

"Huh?" Kirito looked over at her in surprise, as if he'd just remembered that he was sitting next to Argo, and then his eyes widened. "O-Oh, you must be cold, Argo. Should we head back?"

Argo grinned weakly and shivered. "Yeah, prob'ly," she said.

While the two of them walked back to the Teleport Gate, Argo stole glances at Kirito whenever she figured she could get away with it. Every time she looked at him, he was staring straight ahead, eyes distant like he was thinking hard about something. The walk was silent, and part of her wanted to reach out and take Kirito's hand in hers; the smarter part of her, however, reminded her that she'd just confessed to him and that maybe trying to push things wasn't the smartest idea. Argo bit her lip and stared at the ground instead, trying to ignore how awkward the silence was.

Sh-She wasn't wrong, right? He hadn't immediately turned her down, so that meant she had a chance, right? Maybe he was just in shock. Argo tugged at her hair, but it wasn't like it was holding the answers she was looking for. It made her feel better, though.

It wasn't easy, but they made it back to the Log Cabin. From time to time, Argo opened her mouth to start to say something, but when she looked at Kirito the words would die in her mouth. The Log Cabin's inviting light was a haven from the awkwardness, and Argo couldn't deny the relief she felt when their home was in sight. Kirito still held the door open for her, and Argo ducked inside. Kirito looked at her, opened his mouth, and then looked away without a word and headed further into his house. He vanished up the stairs, and Argo sighed again.

"Did I screw up?" she wondered quietly to herself. Aside from Kirito, apparently, it was an open secret that every girl in the house loved him. None of them had made a move, though; and it was for obvious reasons. Unspoken, yeah, but none of them wanted to ruin what they had together. Argo didn't have many people she could call friends. She didn't want to hurt the few she could.

Well, what was done was done, Argo thought. She'd just have to live with what she said. But first, there was something she had to do. After opening her menu and swapping back to her regular clothes - no more heels making her taller, she thought wistfully, but then again she was wearing her comfy shirt and shorts - Argo wandered the house in search of the others.

Asuna and Leafa were making something in the kitchen for dinner, the younger girl more of an assistant than another chef, and the long-haired girl turned around as Argo entered. "Argo?" Asuna asked. "I thought you'd be out longer with Kazuto." Then she studied the info broker a little bit closer, and her brown eyes filled with concern. She swept across the kitchen and wrapped Argo in a hug immediately. "Argo, what happened?" she asked. "Did Kazuto say something rude to you? I can go scold him for you, if he did -"

"It was me, A-chan," Argo sighed even as she leaned into the hug. "I screwed up."

Asuna looked down at her. "Is this..."

"Yeah, call the gals. I think this's a house-wide issue we gotta deal with."

Asuna looked over and nodded to Leafa, and the black-haired girl headed out of the kitchen. Meanwhile, Asuna gently ended the hug and turned back to the kitchen. "I'll go make us something nice to eat," she said. "Whatever happened, I think having fresh tea and sweets will make things better."

Argo didn't know how she did it, but Asuna was always the best. "Yeah," Argo said. "Sounds good."

It didn't take long for the girls in the house to gather around the dining room table and enjoy a small fruit cake of Asuna's design; Argo's main reason for her little date with Kirito hadn't exactly been hidden from the others, so the info broker was pretty sure they were all waiting for her to report back. On one hand, that was great, because she could get this over with quickly. On the other hand, that sucked, because Argo had way less time to figure out what to say than she really wanted.

"Okay, so spill!" Lisbeth grinned. "How'd it go? What did he say?"

"No way," Silica gasped. "Did he... choose?" The young tank fidgeted awkwardly. Argo was pretty sure she was torn between eagerness and nervousness.

Argo looked around at all of the eyes on her, and then grinned weakly. Maybe the band-aid strategy was the best idea. "Nya hah hah... I mighta accidentally spilled all the beans an' told him we all love him?"

All of the other girls stared at her, and Argo shifted in her seat. Maybe the band-aid strategy _wasn't_ the best idea. "...Wait, so..." Lisbeth said slowly, "you told him how all of us feel?"

"Um... yeah." Argo shifted. "Sorry."

"I thought you said you weren't going to say anything," Silica complained. "Didn't you say you were just going to ask him about Sinon about that kiss?"

"Huh?" Sinon asked. "Y-Y-You knew about that?"

Argo grinned at her. "Sorry, Sinon, but we all knew ya kissed since ya joined us." The archer stared at her in shock and maybe a little horror. "Gotta say, though, it _was_ kinda cute how the two 'a ya thought ya were bein' all sneaky about it." Ah, there went the blush, and Argo's grin widened.

"Forget all that," Leafa said. "What are we going to do about Kazuto?"

"Sugu's right." Asuna sipped at her tea and then set it back on the saucer with a quiet _clink_. "Argo, what did Kirito say after you told him how we felt?"

Argo drew her legs up to her chest and squirmed on the couch until she could rest her back against Lisbeth's side. "Well, nothin'," she sighed. "He jus'... took me home, an' now he's upstairs, I think."

Leafa sighed. "That doesn't surprise me. My big brother isn't good with this stuff..."

"So what do we do?" Silica asked. "...I don't want to fight with all of you, but... but I'm not going to give up on Kirito!" The young tank clenched her fists. "B-B-Because I love him!" she squeaked out.

Lisbeth sighed. "So do I, Silica. You're all my friends, but I'm not going to ignore how I feel either."

Argo's eyes darted back and forth between the girls. Lisbeth and Silica were staring at each other, and Sinon had sat up, her eyes focused and ready like she was about to go hunting for mobs. Was this it, she wondered. Did the Royal Blades break up because they couldn't handle liking the same -

"Why is everyone fighting?"

Asuna's innocent question stopped the budding argument in its tracks. The four of them turned and stared at the second-in-command of the guild. "Uh, A-chan?" Argo asked. Gotta be delicate... "Not sure if ya noticed, but _I jus' told Kii-boy we all love him_." Yeah, that was delicate enough.

"I know that, but why does that mean we have to fight?" Beside her, Leafa's eyes widened in surprise. "Why don't we just agree to share him?"

Argo stopped and stared.

 _Everyone_ stopped and stared.

In the silence, Asuna took another sip of her tea.

"Whaaaaat?!" they all exclaimed.

"What are ya talkin' about, A-chan?" Argo asked. " _Share_ him?"

"Of course," Asuna said. "I already agreed to share him with Sugu. And you're all just as precious to me as she is, so I don't want to lose you."

Argo blinked. There were... a lot of things to unpack in those sentences. First though, she couldn't help but smile at Asuna's confession that she was just as important to her as Sugu was. That... felt really nice, actually - wait a second.

"Um, I have a question," Sinon said. "When you said you'd share him with Leafa, what did you mean by that, exactly?"

Lisbeth waved a hand at Sinon. "Pfft. She meant that she'd share him like family, right?"

Leafa shook her head. "No, we'd both be dating Kazuto," she said with a smile. "Asuna suggested it after the two of us had a talk about it, and I agreed!"

"W-W-Wait," Silica stammered, blushing bright red. "B-But you're his sister!"

Lisbeth looked like she wanted to tease Leafa, but the blush on her cheek and her ears was too powerful. "Y-Yeah, siblings shouldn't do that sort of stuff together!"

"But we're not?"

This time, Sinon was the one to cough and nearly drop the teacup in her hand. "Excuse me?!" she yelped. "But... Kirito said you were -"

Leafa smiled, though Argo could tell it was a little shaky. "We're actually cousins," she said. "Mom adopted Kazuto when we were both really young. My aunt and uncle..." She shook her head, trailing off, but Argo was able to figure out what she'd started to say. "Anyway, we're cousins even though we say we're brother and sister. Kazuto doesn't know that, so I haven't said anything, but I realized something was weird with our birthdays and asked Mom. She told me the truth about everything."

Argo rubbed at her forehead. "Alright, so the lil' sis is actually his cousin, an'... Wait, don't tell me, yer in love with Kii-boy _too_?"

"Of course," Leafa said immediately. "I love Kazuto the most! Ever since he saved me from drowning as a kid."

Asuna smiled. "Sugu here was really jealous when I started getting closer to Kazuto."

"Asuna!"

"But we talked it out," Asuna continued, ignoring Leafa's blush and embarrassed protest. "After I suggested sharing Kazuto, she agreed." The long-haired girl tilted her head. "I never understood why the girls in Kazuto's shows refused to get along. They're all good friends, so why are they ruining their friendship over a guy?" Argo stared at Asuna. This girl... She was sitting there, speaking like all of that was perfectly obvious, instead of the weirdest thing she'd ever heard. "In any event, I've already made this sort of agreement with Sugu... so why not with all of you as well?"

Asuna extended her hand. Argo and the others could only stare at her beautiful face. An... an angel! A beautiful angel had descended from up above and offered them a miracle!

"I'm in."

Argo looked around to see who'd jumped on the offer and realized after a second that she was the one that had spoken up. "I mean," she continued, only a little flustered, "this's the best answer, right? We stay friends, Kirito doesn't have ta choose only one of us..." She shrugged. "It's weird thinkin' my boyfriend will have a bunch of girlfriends, but... all of ya are important ta me. I don't want to lose any of my friends. And I think we can sort things out between us."

Lisbeth sighed. "Well, when you put it that way, Argo... I'm not going to say no, am I? I wasn't sure how I was going to avoid hurting anyone when I confessed, but this works out for everyone, in the end."

"I-I'm okay with it too!" Silica exclaimed. "Kirito wouldn't like it if we fought, would he?"

"No, he wouldn't," Sinon said. She shook her head. "I love him," she said plainly. Argo couldn't help but respect how easy it was for her to say that. "When I first met him, I wasn't sure if I loved him because he was the only happy memory I had, or because I actually loved him... but now, after spending time getting to know him and getting to know _you_ , I know that my feelings are real. The reason he was taking so long to answer me... was because he didn't want to hurt any of you. I could see how much he cared about you, just by watching. If he can be happy like this, then..." She smiled at the other girls. "Let's get along, okay?"

Asuna smiled faintly. "Alright. Shall we go talk to Kazuto? Knowing him, he's probably a little worried about what Argo said."

"I didn't mean ta blurt it out," Argo grumbled.

"I know you didn't." Asuna stood up. "Alright, ladies, let's head upstairs and find Kazuto."

The six of them talked and whispered to each other on the way up the steps. Leafa and Sinon were talking about something or other - from what little bits Argo was able to overhear, Sinon was asking about what happened to Leafa as a kid - and Lisbeth and Silica were whispering back and forth. Fortunately, that meant she could talk to Asuna. "A-chan? Ya sure this's gonna work?"

Asuna shook her head. "No, I'm not. But as long as we do our best, we can _make_ it work."

"Sharin' with each other, huh..." Argo sighed. "I never woulda thought 'bout it, ta be honest. Yer kinda weird, A-chan."

"Hey," Asuna protested.

"But," Argo continued, "guess that's part 'a what I like so much 'bout ya."

"...Say, Argo?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you call him Kii-boy and me A-chan, but you call the rest by their names?"

Argo grinned. "'Cause I only give nicknames to the ones I _like_." She raised on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Asuna's cheek.

Asuna went bright red. "A-Argo?!"

"I never said Kii-boy was the _only_ one I had my eyes on," Argo purred, giving Asuna a quick wink. The beautiful girl blushed and stammered, but before she could reply they arrived at the door to Kirito's room. Argo swallowed, looking up at it. This was it...

* * *

Kirito sat on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He really wasn't sure what to feel. On one hand, Argo had just confessed that she was in love with him - but on the other, she'd confessed that _all_ of the girls were in love with him. Sure, he was thrilled, but part of him wished that she could have let him figure out what to do about Sinon first. Now, he had an entirely new problem to deal with. There was... He'd have to hurt four of them, and Kirito couldn't let himself be responsible for that.

Wait, Argo had said _everyone_ in the Royal Blades was in love with him. Did she mean that his little sister felt about him that way? Thinking back on it, some of the ways she'd been acting... It would make sense. But she didn't know the truth, right? Leafa didn't know that she was his cousin, and not his sister, right?

"Ugh, why does this have to be so difficult?" he complained, scratching the back of his head.

Someone tapped at his door. "Papa?" Yui's muffled voice came through the wood. "Can I come in?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, come on in, Yui."

The door opened, and his daughter walked in. She carefully closed it behind her and sat down on the bed next to him. "Papa, what happened? When you left for dinner with Argo-mama, your happiness levels were normal, but now they've decreased dramatically to coincide with an increase in what I can only describe as confusion. I want to help Papa, even if all I can do is listen."

Kirito smiled and patted Yui's head. "Good girl, Yui. No, it's... your Argo-mama told me something I wasn't really expecting to hear, so I'm just trying to figure out what to do."

Yui thought about that for a second, and then looked up at Kirito. "Did Argo-mama tell you that she's having a baby?"

"What?!" Kirito coughed in surprise. "N-No, that's not possible."

"But I thought when a mama and a papa love each other very much, they'll have a baby. D-Do you not love Argo-mama, Papa?"

Yui's eyes were dangerously close to watering, and Kirito immediately shook his head. "That's... not quite how babies are made, Yui." Her mouth opened in a little 'Oh'. "Who told you that?"

"Well, first I was curious about how babies are made, so I asked Silica-mama. But she got very red and embarrassed and didn't answer me, so I asked Aunt Sachi. She didn't answer me either, which was very strange." Yui smiled up at him. "Finally, I talked to Uncle Klein, and he told me!"

Kirito wasn't really sure whether he should be grateful for Klein for answering that, or upset that he gave Yui such a misleading idea on how babies were made. Then again... "The real way is a little more complex than that," he said, feeling incredibly awkward about the whole conversation. "B-But you don't need to worry about it for now."

"...So Argo-mama isn't having a baby?"

"No," Kirito said.

"Oh," Yui said. Then she tilted her head. "Then what did Argo-mama say?"

Kirito sighed. "She told me that all of your mamas are in love with me."

"Huh? Of course they are. All of my mamas love Papa very much! Why is that surprising?"

"Because..." Kirito trailed off. ...Had Yui known the whole time? Then, when she was calling them her mamas because they all loved him, that had been... How much had he _missed_?! "Because I wasn't thinking things through," he admitted. "I thought... I've been friends with Asuna for so long, I thought that this was just how girls _acted_ when we were best friends. Blushing, sneaking glances, getting jealous... But now I'm stuck, trying to figure out what I'm going to do next. I can't... I have to choose, now," Kirito told Yui.

"Choose?" Yui gasped. "Papa, you can't just choose one Mama!"

"I know," he said. "And that's the problem. How could I choose any one of them? They're all so wonderful. Lisbeth is amazing, the way she pours her heart and soul into every blade she forges. I wish I could have that kind of passion. And Silica... She's always trying her best to grow and get stronger. I can't hurt Sinon like that, after she's done so much to get stronger, all for me. Argo is clever and such a sweetheart, no matter how much she tries to pretend otherwise. Sugu... Once I found out she was my cousin, she was my first crush. I told myself it wasn't _that_ kind of love, but I guess deep down I've always known otherwise. And if Sugu was my first crush, Asuna was my second. She's my best friend, and she's helped me through a lot. Neither of those crushes ever went away...

"And all of them are beautiful, too!" For the first time, Kirito regretted that he'd become the leader of this guild, for the sole reason that every single one of his closest friends were absolutely gorgeous. "They're so important to me, Yui. Choosing one of them... I'd be telling the other five to give up, and I can't _do_ that to them."

Yui hummed and scrambled onto Kirito's lap. He wrapped his arms around his little girl and she giggled, before tilting her head back. "But not answering them wouldn't help either, would it, Papa?"

"No," Kirito sighed. "And that's what's killing me. I've made Sinon wait long enough, I won't do that to all of them."

Yui tilted her head. "Then why choose anyone at all? If they all love Papa, and Papa loves them all, then it wouldn't make sense to choose just one!"

"Yui, th-that's not how that works..."

"Why not?"

Kirito opened his mouth to reply to the young AI, but found that he didn't really _have_ an answer. At least, aside from 'because that's how it is', and Argo would smack him up and down the entire Castle Aincrad if she knew he'd even thought about using that as an answer to a question. "I..."

"If it was an option," Yui pressed, "would you? Love all of them equally."

"I- I..." Kirito stammered. Yui hopped off his lap and turned to face him, standing by the door. What should he say? Kirito wondered. But... It was... "Yes!" he said. "Of course I would. In a _heartbeat_. But there's no way they'd agree to that sort of thing." Kirito shook his head. "I really wish we could solve things that easily. But, it's just not -"

"Well, Mamas? You heard him!"

With a cheerful smile, Yui tugged open the door to his room. Kirito could only stare as Leafa and Asuna tumbled into his room, falling on top of each other; Argo managed to catch herself on the door frame, and the other girls were standing in the hallway proper. Lisbeth had a huge blush on her face, and Silica's eyes were practically spinning. Argo's fingers scratched at the wooden frame as the info broker stared at him. From the floor, his sister and best friend didn't even bother trying to get up. Leafa was giggling happily, and Asuna had the most satisfied smile.

"Uh," Kirito began.

"I listened in on my Mamas' conversation down in the kitchen before coming up to talk to you, Papa!" Yui announced. "They decided that they'd try to share you as well, if they could convince you! Ah, as an MHCP, I'm so happy. Human emotions are so interesting, and this will give me so much to study!"

They all stared at each other silently for a few seconds, before Lisbeth finally exploded. "W-W-Well you said you'd date all of us! So you'd better not have been lying, Kirito!" She stepped over Leafa and Asuna and grabbed him by the shirt - before awkwardly looking to the side. "...D-Don't make me say it... I'm still a girl, I'm not supposed to be the one asking for a kiss..."

"Ah! Liz!" Leafa exclaimed. "No fair jumping ahead! Kazuto's first kiss should be mine!"

Kirito was still a little shaken by everything happening at once, but he decided it wasn't a big deal. Gently he leaned forward and captured Lisbeth's lips with his. As Silica squealed and Lisbeth melted into the kiss, eagerly responding to his inexperienced technique, he couldn't help but think that this was probably a bad idea...

But, on the other hand, it definitely _felt_ like a good one.

* * *

 **And there's the 'climax'. We've reached peak harem, in which everyone decides to be one big polyamorous blob. Now comes the hardest argument - who gets to be the official Wife? (Seriously, who? Vote for the girl you want, and the winner gets the ring in VR~ (Though, uh, don't _just_ vote for someone in the reviews. Have something else to say, please.))  
**

 **I really wondered about putting this in the last chapter, but I really wanted Argo's side of the 'date' and didn't want to just repeat stuff. Plus, it was already 15k when I decided to split this off, so no big deal. Just think of the last chapter and this one as one huge 20k chapter, if you want! Either way. Argo's impatience was hopefully a little more obvious here, as well as the reason she just confessed for all of the girls.**

 **And then we have both sides coming to terms with their feelings. Asuna revealing her master strategy; Leafa revealing the fact that she's known she's not Kirito's sister pretty much since the beginning (she figured out the birth dates were weird about… six months before Kazuto met Asuna, and that was the start of her crush on her big brother); Argo revealing her targets, plural; and, of course, Sinon pushing for any ending that makes everyone happy.**

 **Then, on Kirito's side, we have his realization that he's being a coward and running away, though if I'm being fair his outlook on how girls acted was skewed thanks to his only source of girl contact being Asuna and Sugu. As well as Yui deciding to be Yui for a bit, and social-ninja Kirito into being willing to talk about what happened, and then talk about his feelings for the girls. Sometimes it's nice being able to have a character make other characters talk about feelings by dint of A) being a cute girl and lowering their guard and B) being surprisingly grown-up, as an AI.  
**

 **And I chose Liz for receiving the sacred First Kiss because she wasn't First Girl, Best Sister, Best Girl, Silica, or First Love Confession. Also because her character development is showing, that too.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or left a review.**


	18. Chapter 17

**Pre-chapter Author's Note: Congrats to Asuna for winning the Waifu vote. May they be happy in a virtual marriage.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

 **April 17th, 2024**

Kirito's eyes opened slowly, and he rolled over before burying his face in the hair of his bedmate and sighing happily.

It hadn't been long before he always had one of his... girlfriends? Wives? ...It hadn't been long before he always had one of his lovers in bed with him every night. It had started with Asuna arriving at his door late the first night after they'd entered their new agreement, and after an unforgettable night together he'd been... a little more accepting of the sudden relationship he'd found himself in. It helped that the girls spent a few hours the next day setting up a schedule to who would sleep in Kirito's bed on what nights, if they wanted to.

At least he got Sundays to himself, he thought. Then again, when it meant he got mornings like this one... it was worth it.

Asuna rolled over and smiled at him, the long-haired girl still half-asleep. "Mmm... Morning, Kazuto..." She squirmed closer and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. Even now, after a whole month of dating the girls, the early-morning wake-up kisses were still so romantic to him.

"Morning, Asuna," he said, reaching over to stroke her hair. The girl purred quietly under the attention, her breathing still slow and steady. "Hey, don't go back to sleep, we have to get up."

He tried to push the covers back and pull away, but Asuna's brow wrinkled in cute irritation as she wrapped her arms around him. "No," she muttered sleepily. "Pillow stays here."

Kirito sighed as Asuna clung to her. He loved her dearly, but her clinginess when she wasn't fully awake made things a little difficult.

It was really a good thing Yui slept on her own that night, he thought as Asuna buried her face in the crook of his neck, her legs wrapping around his. Otherwise, Asuna would be squishing the little girl between the two of them. From time to time, Yui insisted on joining her papa and mama in bed; it was nice getting to sleep as a family, and by this point Yui had cuddled with all of her mamas, but at the same time waking up with just the two of them made things a lot less awkward for... certain reasons.

Asuna's eyes fluttered open and a smug smile drifted to her face as one of those reasons prodded at her insistently. Before she could do more than start moving her hand down, the door opened. "Morning, you two," Leafa said cheerfully. "Time to get up!"

The two young lovers jolted upright like they'd been shocked, though Asuna rubbed at her eyes sleepily. "M-Morning," Kirito said, shifting the blankets across his lap.

Leafa pouted. "Aw, did I come in too early?"

"D-Don't talk about things like that!" His little sister could be so lewd!

"Good morning!" The next cheerful voice to join the conversation came from Yui as the young AI poked her head around Leafa. "Ah! You're awake, that's excellent! Asuna-mama, let's go make breakfast!"

"Huh?" Asuna was tugged out of bed by the excited Yui and led out of the room by the hand. At least she was wearing her nightgown, Kirito thought with a smile as the pair disappeared out of his room and into the hallway.

Asuna had been wearing a cute nightgown with ruffles on the hem, clearly designed by Ashley to flatter her figure and bustline; the tight white nightgown succeeded at that job, hugging her curves beautifully. It was short, barely covering her thighs, but Kirito didn't mind getting a chance to stare at her amazing legs in the slightest. A lace garter clung to her left thigh, creamy skin above hinting at what lied underneath the nightgown, and a similar lace ribbon hung around her neck, keeping the top of her pajamas from falling.

And still standing in his doorway, his little sister; the pajamas Leafa had taken to wearing recently were incredibly daring, and something that, if this weren't Aincrad, he was sure their mother would refuse on sight. The hemline of her nightgown was incredibly daring, making it clear that his sister didn't wear a bra to bed. It was looser than the one that Asuna wore, but that just meant his attention was always directed to her most prominent features. The emerald green dress looked really good on her; it was a good color.

Now that he was free of Asuna's tight grip, Kirito got out of bed and stretched, raising his arms over his head. It was nice to be free, no matter how wonderful it was to wake up with a beautiful girl in his bed. Silica in particular was really bad about that, latching onto his arms in her sleep and not waking up no matter what. Plus, she had this weird habit in her sleep or something, because he always woke up with her mouth clamped around one of his sleeves, drooling all over it.

He was starting to get used to dating the girls; it honestly wasn't that much different than before, though there was a sweet tenderness in all of their interactions. Idle touches lingered longer, smiles were more honest, cuddles were given freely and without restraint... It didn't surprise him that Sinon was the most physically affectionate out of all of the girls, always looking for a way to rest against him while they sat on the couch together. Their time in bed together was usually spent cuddling in a pile in the mornings, since Sinon liked to read before going to bed. Sometimes he'd read over her shoulder, holding her in his arms. Cuddling with her was fun; she was like a cat, honestly. Calm and collected most of the time, but get her alone and Sinon would be warm and loving.

"Kazuto? You're staring," Leafa said, and Kirito jumped.

He chuckled and got out of bed. "Sorry, didn't mean to." He pressed a quick kiss to Leafa's cheek and she giggled, returning it on his cheek. "I think Asuna will have breakfast ready pretty soon, I'm going to get changed."

Kirito hesitated, but Leafa just blinked at him. He sighed. "I love you, Sugu, but can I get changed in private?"

"Aw," she complained, but headed out of his room and downstairs. He sighed and shook his head, swiping open his menu to get changed out of his pajamas. His clothes reappeared in a flash of light and instead of his black pajamas, he was wearing his usual black shirt and pants. The girls might laugh about it, but he liked the color, so they could laugh all they want.

He walked out of the room and nearly ran straight into Lisbeth. "Hey, Liz," he said. "Ready to start the day with some of Asuna's breakfast?"

"Some of us have been up already, lazybones," she scolded him with a smile. "I already made a bunch of swords."

He laughed. "Good job, Liz." He reached out and patted her back.

Lisbeth smiled at him, before her eyes drifted up. "Ugh, you didn't brush your hair at all, did you? It's sticking everywhere. Stand still."

The pink-haired blacksmith had to stand on her tiptoes, but she was tall enough to reach without Kirito bending down. He stood still as she ran her fingers through his hair, fluffing it out and tugging at locks to put it in order. Honestly, Lisbeth being so concerned with appearances was kind of a surprise, but one he was glad to learn about. The first time he'd mentioned it when she fussed with his hair, she'd gone as pink as her hair and muttered, 'I'm a girl too, y'know?'. That she was a girl? He had no doubt. Sure, she was tomboyish, but in a cute, feminine way.

"There we go, that's better," Lisbeth said, letting her hands fall to his shoulders. A smirk spread across her face before she stood on tiptoes to steal a quick kiss from his lips. Kirito blinked at her a little stupidly, and she grinned before heading downstairs. He followed behind her, managing to overtake her and press a quick kiss to her cheek before they sat down in the living room, ready for breakfast.

While they were eating, the conversations flowed between all of the lovers naturally. Some small part of Kirito still remembered the awkward silences that had just started appearing at his old dinners with his family, back before he met Asuna and she turned his life upside down, so he couldn't be happier with the lively chatter. Silica was talking with Leafa and Asuna, waving her arms wildly as the other two girls listened with rapt attention; Lisbeth was teasing Sinon about _something_ or other, making the glasses-wearing girl blush before she fired back with a comment that turned the tables and left the blacksmith with red cheeks herself.

"Kii-boy? Ya ignorin' me?"

Kirito smiled and turned his attention back to his own conversation partner. "Of course not, Argo. I'd _never_ do that."

Argo studied him thoughtfully, then shrugged. "What can I say?" She smirked. "Yer a smart guy, Kii-boy."

"Argo-mama, I'm finished eating," Yui said from Argo's other side.

"Wipe your face, Yui," Argo said automatically, glancing at the Royal Blades's daughter. "Ya have jam everywhere."

Kirito smiled. "Anyway, you were saying, Argo?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry, got distracted by the kid." Argo swiped open her menu and slid the screen his way. "The Black Cats're helpin' out with the front lines, an' Fuurinkazan's been doin' good work, but by an' large the Knights of the Blood are takin' over clearing duties. Plenty 'a broken hearts in the DDA since Silica took a lil' break." She grinned like a Cheshire cat, propping up an elbow on the table and leaning against it. "How's it feel, stealin' away their idol like that?"

"Argo, table manners," Asuna scolded from across the table.

"Bah." the info broker stuck her tongue out. Still, she obeyed the master of the kitchen and dining room and sat back.

Kirito chuckled. "And your information network?"

"Our ninjas are keepin' track 'a all the big players, an' I've got enough informants feedin' me info I can know who took a dump an' when," Argo boasted. Lisbeth wrinkled her nose at the crudity, but Yui giggled.

"Are they still calling Kirito 'Lord'?" Silica asked.

Argo snickered. "You know it!" Kirito sighed as the girls laughed. It was flattering the first few times, but by this point it was a little embarrassing...

"...Do you think we should go back soon?"

The girls looked at each other, the conversations dying down or being put on hold for the time being. Yui, out of all of them, looked back and forth at her parents, blinking curiously as she sipped at a mug of milk slowly. Eventually, Asuna shook her head and smiled at Kirito. "Oh, Kazuto," she said. "I knew it."

"You couldn't have waited like, another week?" Leafa complained. "Now I lost the bet!"

"Bet?" Kirito asked, even as the girls passed col to Argo. The info broker accepted the coins cheerfully, making them dance across her knuckles to Yui's delight.

"We all knew you were going to get bored sooner or later," Sinon said with a smile. "We all tried to guess when."

"Yeah, and I had five weeks," Leafa muttered.

Silica sighed, her twintails drooping. "I thought you'd be bored after two," she admitted. "I didn't expect our honeymoon to last so long..."

Lisbeth nudged the young girl in the side. "But you're glad it did, huh?"

"Hey, L-Liz!" Silica didn't deny the statement as she stared off into the distance and let out a dreamy sigh. Kirito had a good idea he knew what she was imagining, especially after she giggled and blushed. The quick peeks at him as she fidgeted in her chair got rid of any room for doubt.

"Anyway," Asuna said, smiling peacefully like she hadn't just handed Argo five thousand col, "we'd already talked about this. We love having the time off, but... if you want us to come back to the front lines, we're willing to follow you, Kirito. You're our guild leader, after all. And..." She blushed. "And you're the boy we love, so of course."

Kirito blushed at the frank admission. Even after a month, he still wasn't used to them saying it straight to his face like that.

"Of course," Leafa said. "Kazuto is my husband, so I'll go anywhere with him!"

"Hey, wait a second," Lisbeth protested. " _Your_ husband? You're his sister! You can't get married to him!"

"Cousin," Leafa insisted. "And we already have the engagement rings from the 45th Floor, remember?"

"Guh!" Lisbeth recoiled as if struck. "But you live with him in real life! If anyone should be his wife, it should be one of us, since we don't see him every day. It'd make me - I mean, it'd make whoever it is feel more secure."

Argo leaned forward and grinned. "I don't mind bein' A-chan's wife~."

"Argo!" Asuna blushed. "I-I was planning to ask my parents if I could marry Kazuto once we get out," she said with a blush.

Silica pouted. "But that's not fair, you're already Kirito's wife in-game..."

By this point, Kirito knew that the argument wasn't going to get solved any time soon. They'd already gone in enough circles over the subject as it was; if he had to be honest, he caught himself imagining Asuna as his bride from time to time, though the daydream about the ceremony always followed itself by five other brides standing behind her. He wasn't an idiot. He knew that sooner or later they'd have to sort _that_ situation out. But at the same time, he wasn't an idiot, he knew that it would be better to stay out of it.

Yui tugged on his shirt sleeve. "Papa, if you want, I could go change settings in Cardinal, and then Papa can be all of Mamas' husband!"

He smiled and patted her head. "Sorry, Yui, but that's not really what they're talking about."

"But I want my mamas to stop arguing." Yui looked up at him, and her eyes glistened. Oh no, was she about to cry?!

"D-Don't worry, they're not really arguing," Kirito hurried to assure them. "Nobody's getting mad, we're all having fun."

Yui sniffled and blinked, before beaming. "Okay! If you say so, Papa!"

Kirito breathed out a sigh of relief before collecting his plates and heading to the kitchen to wash them. As he entered, he noticed Sinon standing by the sink, washing her breakfast dishes as well. Without asking or being told, he stood next to her and bumped her hip lightly before grabbing some of the wet plates and starting to dry them. Sinon smiled and bumped his hip back.

Once their dishes were handled, Kirito turned to look at the lively discussion in the living room. "They're still trying to figure out who'll marry you in the real world, huh?" Sinon asked.

"If only I could marry all of you," he sighed. "Not going to join in, Sinon?"

"I'm happy with just knowing you love me," Sinon replied, before prodding him in the chest with a slender finger. "And what did I saw about my name? You promised to call me Shino when we're alone, remember?"

"S-Sorry, Shino," he said. "Well... We'll figure out what to do about that when we come to it. Maybe matching wedding rings, even if I'm only legally married to one of you?"

Sinon shrugged. "Maybe. It sounds like a good idea, at least." She smiled at him. "I wouldn't say no if you chose me, though."

She really was like a cat, Kirito thought with a chuckle. Sinon blinked at him, but didn't ask why he'd laughed after he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

With breakfast done, he headed back to his room in order to get changed. He had a date with Leafa that morning, and he didn't want to keep her waiting. He hummed, trying to decide which shirt would look better - "Go with th' one on the left," Argo said, kicking her legs.

He glanced over her shoulder to see the info broker sitting on his bed, grinning like she'd won the lottery. Kirito realized that he was still shirtless, and had a good guess why she was so pleased with herself. Still, though, he trusted her fashion sense. "Sounds good," he said, equipping the olive-green shirt. Argo hopped off the bed and paced around him, studying his appearance closely. "So... You're going to talk to Heathcliff later?" he asked as she smoothed out some invisible wrinkles only she could see.

"Yep," Argo nodded. "Figure while ya went on yer date with Leafa, I'd get things rollin' on headin' back. Prob'ly need ta spend a few days gettin' back in shape, though."

"Thanks, Argo," he said.

"Nya hah hah! Praise me more! Or, better yet, take me out ta dinner soon!"

He smiled. "Sure thing." Argo snatched a quick kiss away from him before waving and darting out of the room. Kirito spent a few more seconds checking his appearance in the mirror in his room before heading downstairs to wait for his sister.

Leafa came hurrying into the room about five minutes after he'd sat down on the couch patiently. "Ah! Kazuto, sorry I'm late! D-Did you wait long?"

"No, of course not," he assured her.

His sister was wearing a long blouse with green cat shapes decorating it like huge polka dots. She had a thin brown belt around her waist, more for fashion than necessity; her flats were the same shade of brown. Black leggings drew attention to her legs, and while they weren't as shapely as Asuna's he still had trouble keeping his eyes off of them.

As a concession to the weather, the two lovers wore coats; Kirito had a nice black jacket while Leafa wore a red coat. She'd even swapped out her barrettes for a red pair, just to match it.

Leafa spun around, making the coat and blouse flare. "Well? How do I look?" she asked.

"Very pretty," Kirito said. "I'm almost tempted to say no, just because I don't want other guys to stare."

"Eheheh!" Leafa giggled and wrapped her arm around his, tucking herself neatly against his side. "Let's go have some fun!"

"Enjoy your date!" Silica called, waving from the couch. "I wish I could go too... Awawawa, what am I saying?"

The Kirigayas looked at each other and then laughed. Silica would never change, Kirito knew, no matter how comfortable she got with them all.

The air was chilly, but that was fine with Kirito and Leafa, since it gave them even more of an excuse to cling together. The leader of the Royal Swords and one of the members of the inner circle, the Black Prince and the Emerald Swordswoman... The two of them together, attracted stares, but Kirito didn't mind. It was embarrassing to get stared at in the beginning, especially when he'd just formed the guild and players had started paying attention to them, but now it was fine.

"Hah..." Leafa sighed as she cuddled next to him, the two young lovers walking down the main street of the 45th Floor. "Do you think they know we're siblings? Or maybe we look like a couple..."

"We _are_ a couple," Kirito said with a smile.

Leafa hummed happily and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Hey, Kazuto, do you know what I miss?"

"Kendo? School?"

"Ew, school." Leafa stuck out her tongue and made a face, and both of them laughed. "No, I miss the summer festival we'd always go to as kids. You know, the ones where they kept thinking we were sisters?"

"Huh..." Kirito smiled. He and Sugu would always go to the festival and spend an evening wandering around, hand in hand. The last few years, they'd even dragged Asuna along to join in the fun, but it was still their little tradition. Every year, they'd gorge themselves on candy apples, cotton candy, and as much vendor-stall food as their stomachs could fit. Sugu would usually insist on trying to win some of the carnival games, and her stuffed animal collection was a testament to her chances at success.

They _always_ underestimated her, just because Sugu was a girl. Kirito didn't care, the look on her face when she clutched the huge stuffed animals was worth it. Unfortunately, he was nowhere near as good at winning the rigged games as she was. He _had_ managed to win her a huge stuffed dog...rabbit...tanuki thing with a leaf on its head a few years back, but he wasn't sure if it was still in her room. Of course, then he'd had to win one for _Asuna_...

Well, it was definitely fun to go to the festival with them.

Kirito nodded. "Yeah. Let's go as soon as we can, okay?"

"You got it!" Leafa cheered. "I'm gonna eat so much stuff!"

"Careful you don't get fat," he teased her.

"Hey!"

Kirito chuckled even as Leafa pouted at him. "Sorry, sorry," he said. "I'll buy you a crepe to make up for being mean, how's that sound?"

In an instant, Leafa's pout transformed into a huge smile. "You're the best, Kazuto!" She tightened her hug, squeezing his arm somewhere soft and squishy. He blushed and looked away while paying for the crepes; his sister got a chocolate one, while he got strawberry.

After he took a bite, he caught Leafa staring at his with a wistful expression and he sighed. "Go ahead, have a bite," he said. Leafa didn't need any more of an invitation before she took a huge bite out of the crepe, humming happily. "I meant a bite, not the whole thing."

"Oo cah haff suh uff ein!" Leafa said, and extended her crepe in his direction. Kirito was long-practiced in understanding his sister with her mouth full of food, so he accepted her offer and took a bite from the crepe.

Mmm... The chocolate mixed well with the strawberry, he decided, though if he wanted the best experience he'd have to alternate bites, or better yet mix the two together -

Leafa swiped her finger across his cheek and then popped it into her mouth, giggling. "Huh?" Kirito asked.

"You had some cream on your face, so I took care of it," Leafa said. Kirito blushed lightly and scratched at his cheek. This really wasn't his forte...

...

The door to Kirito's bedroom slammed open. "Hey, Kii-boy!" Argo barked as she darted in. "I've been lookin'..."

The Rat trailed off and blinked. Kirito and Leafa blinked back, staring at the info broker in total shock. Their actions were pretty obvious, thanks to the new wrinkles in their clothes; Leafa was pressed up against Kirito, grinding her body against his, and his hands were under her blouse, frozen in place by Argo's sudden interruption. Faint lipstick marks dotted Kirito's face and lips, and Leafa's makeup was smudged. It was... very clear what Kirito and Leafa had been doing before Argo barged in.

"Nya hah hah... Sorry, did I interrupt~? Don't mind me, keep on doin' what ya were doin'..."

In his arms, Leafa slowly grew red, then passed red into flaming, and then past flaming into _horribly_ mortified. An endless stream of babble poured from her lips as she tugged away from Kirito, tried vainly to fix her clothes, and then ran past Argo into the hallway. Kirito watched her as she turned left and tried to run, then realized that Kirito's room was at the end of the hallway; she screeched to a halt, dancing in place, and then turned around and ran down the hallway for her room. Kirito and Argo listened as her footsteps thudded on the wooden floor until her door creaked open and shut again.

After a silent second, Kirito sighed and sat down on his bed. "Nobody knocks anymore," he sighed.

"Eh, not like we mind seein' ya naked," Argo said with a leer. "Or th' other way 'round, either~." She padded over to his side and started wiping off the lipstick prints Leafa's ardor had left. He wondered idly what she _meant_ by that - did she mean that he didn't mind them seeing him naked, or that the girls didn't mind him seeing _them_ naked? Of course, he didn't say anything out loud. Argo would just grin and give him some teasing answer before walking away with a wiggle in her step.

Instead, he sat through her fussing patiently. "Sho," he said as she wiped at his lips with a handkerchief, "what did you need, Argo?"

"Oh yeah, almost forgot." Argo tilted her head, studying Kirito, and then nodded and stowed her handkerchief away again. "Heathcliff's gonna be comin' by later today. Said somethin' 'bout wantin' ta see us in person." She snickered. "My guess is, he's gonna say congrats on marryin' six beautiful ladies."

"Nobody knows about our relationship, though," Kirito protested.

"Eh, it's an open secret," Argo shrugged. "Last time I checked in with Klein an' his crew, poor guys were torn between praisin' ya as a god an' damnin' ya ta the pits 'a hell."

"I guess it could be worse," Kirito sighed. "Are they the only ones that know?"

Argo snickered. "Pret~ty sure th' entire playerbase knows by now. Yer not the Playboy Swordsman fer nothin', Kii-boy."

He sighed and hung his head. "I hate that you won't kill that nickname."

"Why? It's cute~."

He sighed again and stood up. "When did he say he's arriving?"

"Mm... 'Bout two, three minutes."

Kirito stared at her, and she grinned at him without saying a word. "...Whatever," he sighed. "I'm hoping you warned Asuna before you talked to me? You _know_ she'd want to make tea and snacks."

"Yeah, yeah, I already talked ta A-chan, she's gettin' her Hostess Skill ready," Argo said.

"Well, that's good. Am I good to go?"

"Pretty as a gal ready fer her first date~."

"Argo."

Argo laughed. "Nya hah hah! Don't worry, evidence of yer little make-out sesh with yer sis is gone."

Small mercies, at least. With that sorted, Argo and Kirito headed downstairs, the girl peeling off to head into the kitchen. Kirito looked around the living room and saw Silica sitting on the couch next to Sinon. Each girl was reading a book, the archer absently scratching behind Pina's ears as the little dragon snoozed across both girls' laps. "Hi Kirito!" Silica said as he entered. "Oh! I looked into the things Argo wanted me to look into. There's a few easy dungeons on the 63rd Floor that we didn't do, and they'll be perfect for getting back in practice!"

"That's great, Silica. You've been a huge help, thanks." He patted the girl on the head, and her smile was pure bliss as she tucked her hands underneath her chin and giggled. She'd been acting like that every time he patted her, ever since she tried on the cat ear headband. Silica had practically melted in pleasure when he'd scratched behind her ears, and apparently some of it carried over despite removing them the next day. Maybe it had been because he'd scratched her kitty ears for several hours?

Someone knocked at the front door and Sinon jumped in her seat. She blinked and then blushed when Kirito grinned. "Oh, shut up," she muttered, even though nobody had said anything. "Who's at the door?"

"Heathcliff is coming over," Kirito said. "That's probably him."

Sure enough, when Kirito opened the door, the older guild leader stood at the entrance. "Come on in, Heathcliff."

"Pardon the intrusion," Heathcliff murmured as he walked in.

Kirito led Heathcliff into the living room and sat down, where Sinon and Silica briefly made room for Kirito to get comfortable before they snuggled up against him. He grinned weakly at Heathcliff's look, the older man taking a seat on the couch across from him. These two were the least likely to pay attention to time or place, come to think of it...

"Your break seems to have agreed with you," Heathcliff said diplomatically.

"Heheh..." Kirito scratched his cheek awkwardly. "You could say that."

He was saved from making awkward small talk thanks to Asuna's timely arrival. She swept in with a pot of tea and a tray of cookies, setting them on the table. "It's good to see you, Heathcliff," she said with a gentle smile. "Please, help yourself. I'm sorry we couldn't prepare lunch in time."

"It's no problem at all," Heathcliff demurred, pouring himself a cup of tea and sipping at the fragrant drink. "I've encountered a ramen shop on the most recent Floor that I inteded to visit."

"Well, then," Asuna said, "we got lucky, didn't we! I'm going to go clean up, I'll be back in a minute." Naturally, Kirito wouldn't meet with another guild without his second-in-command there; but at the same time, Asuna wouldn't be caught dead doing official guild business in her apron, no matter how cute Kirito thought it was.

Sinon munched on a cookie and Silica coaxed Pina to try another while Heathcliff sipped at his tea. The guild leader set the teacup down on its saucer with a _clink_ and said, "From what I've heard, you've taken in a young girl, Kirito?"

Kirito's smile widened. He could talk about Yui, their pride and joy. "That's right," he said. "Yui! Can you come in here? There's someone I'd like you to say hello to!"

"Coming, Papa!" Yui called from upstairs.

As the footsteps ran towards them, thumping down the stairs, Heathcliff simply raised an eyebrow. "She... We kinda adopted her?" Kirito offered.

"Who is it? Aunt Sachi? Uncle Klein?" Yui asked, running into the room - and then coming to a dead halt as she stared at Heathcliff.

"Yui, this is Heathcliff, he - Yui?" Kirito frowned. "Yui, what's wrong?"

Their little girl had gone pale, eyes wide and staring, as soon as she'd walked into the room. Her body started shaking, and then Yui opened her mouth and _screamed_. The world sounded like static was buzzing in his ears, and if he'd been paying any attention Kirito would have noticed that little graphical errors were flickering in and out of existence at the edge of his perception. He wasn't paying any attention to anything other than Yui, however. His little girl was terrified of _something_ , and he didn't know what he had to kill.

Kirito was halfway out of his seat before Sinon rested a hand on his chest, gently pressing him back down. The glasses-wearing girl smiled at him when he gave her a worried look and nodded. She stood up and hurried over to Yui, kneeling by the young AI child and wrapping her in a huge hug. Yui's screams were muffled slightly, but they still tore at his heart. "Shh, shh..." she whispered. Her hands stroked Yui's hair. "It's okay, Yui, I'm here. Your mama is here, Yui. Deep breaths, deep breaths. In... and out..."

Kirito nearly lunged out of his chair again when Yui's scream cut out abruptly and the girl toppled over, Sinon catching her in her arms like she'd expected that to happen. "What's going on?" he asked, panic barely concealed in his voice. "Is Yui -"

"She passed out, that's all," Sinon said and shook her head. She sighed. Meanwhile, the rest of the Royal Blades relaxed; everyone was in the living room, since naturally they'd all come running the instant Yui started screaming. "I don't know what caused it, but she had a panic attack from something. I recognized the symptoms." Oh. Kirito knew exactly why she'd recognize the symptoms and the thought made his heart feel heavy. "I'll stay with her until she wakes up."

The archer picked up Yui like the little girl was weightless - Kirito _knew_ that was a lie, he'd given his daughter enough piggyback rides when Asuna hadn't claimed his shoulders first - and carried her upstairs. Kirito watched them until they were out of sight, and then turned back to Heathcliff. "Sorry about that," he said. "I... That's the first time that's happened."

"Please, don't apologize," Heathcliff shook his head. "You're not at fault."

Asuna took a seat next to Kirito, and he rested his hands on her. Asuna smiled weakly at him and laced her fingers with his, squeezing his hand. He was pretty sure it was for her comfort, but the touch did make him feel a little bit better. "So, Heathcliff," Asuna said, "I've heard your guild is doing well. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Heathcliff said. "And it seems your vacation has done well for you. I suppose congratulations of my own are in order?" His lips quirked into a faint smile when Asuna, blushing bright red, snatched her hand away from Kirito's like he'd been burned.

Kirito, grinning, leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Asuna's cheek. "K-K-K-Kazuto!" Asuna wailed. "Wh-what are you doing?! We have a guest!"

"I know."

"Ooh, are we givin' A-chan kisses?" Before Asuna could react or get out of the way, Argo leaned over the edge over the couch and kissed Asuna's other cheek.

With his second-in-command reduced to a thoroughly blushing mess, Kirito laughed and looked back at Heathcliff. "You could say that," he said again.

Heathcliff sipped at his tea. Kirito was pretty sure it was to hide a smile. "In any event, I received Argo's message earlier, and thought I would come by to make sure you know that there are no hard feelings. The Royal Blades will still be considered the official leaders of the front lines when you return."

"Thankies," Argo sang, perched on the couch arm. "Wouldn't want Kii-boy ta have ta beat ya in another duel, eh?"

"I don't think my reputation could take it," Heathcliff admitted drily.

The guild made a little small talk, but Kirito couldn't keep his worry about Yui's condition hidden for too long, and he was pretty sure Heathcliff picked up on that. After enjoying the tea and cookies, the guild leader said his goodbyes and left. From there, Kirito didn't remember consciously deciding to go up to Sinon's room, but he blinked and was standing outside of her door.

Sinon answered the door when he knocked lightly. "She's awake but resting," Sinon told him in a quiet voice. "Once she woke up, all she could do for a few minutes was shake. She was mumbling something about not going back, but that stopped after a minute."

"Poor girl," Kirito sighed. "Can I..."

"Sure."

Sinon opened the door wider, and he could see Yui curled up on the bed. As he entered the room, Yui sat up. "Papa!"

"Yui, are you okay?"

"Mm-hmm!" The girl nodded vigorously. "But Sinon-mama said I should just rest for a while."

"Then your Sinon-mama is very smart, as well as beautiful."

"Flatterer." Sinon rolled her eyes with a smile. "And I told you, call me Shino when we're alone."

Kirito took a seat on the bed and casually stretched out on the bed next to Yui. "Hooray!" Yui cheered. "Nap time with Papa! Sinon-mama, join us, join us!"

Kirito grinned. "Yeah, Shino, join us."

Sinon shook her head. "It's not fair to look that cute," she muttered. "Especially when I can't stay."

"Aww," Yui complained, before snuggling up against Kirito's chest. "Guess I get to sleep with Papa all by myself, then!"

Sinon shook her head again, muttering under her breath about something Kirito was pretty sure she called 'sleepeons'. Kirito chuckled and smiled, resting his head on the pillow. It smelled nice... like Silica's shampoo, come to think of it, he realized. "Feeling better, Yui?" he asked with his eyes closed.

"Yup! You're warm, Papa."

Kirito let his breathing slow down and become regular as he relaxed. His daughter was safe, she was feeling better, and all was right with the world. Though he couldn't help but wonder what had caused the attack in the first place, if only so he could protect her in the future. Sinon had explained things a little bit, back when she had first joined the guild...

...

 _Sinon clasped her hands together. "It's..." She sighed, one arm crossing her chest to hug her arm. Kirito wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be okay, but that might have sent the wrong signals... "Whenever I see a gun, or anything like that," she said, her voice quivering just a bit, "it's like I lock up. My heart starts pounding, and I can't move or do anything other than scream. I can't even let go of the toy gun I was using to practice..."_

 _"That sounds... awful," Asuna said._

 _"Most of the time, I have to run to the bathroom and vomit," Sinon admitted. "I know it makes me weak, but - eek!?"_

 _The poor girl had been grabbed in one of Asuna's patented Big Sister Hugs. Both Kirito and Leafa had plenty of experience with it. Sinon, on the other hand, hadn't been prepared in the slightest and had been awkwardly pinned in Asuna's embrace, though she clearly didn't mind. "The fact that you're facing it makes you strong, Sinonon," Asuna said. "Don't you think otherwise."_

 _"...Sinonon?"_

 _"Yeah! I think it sounds cute!"_

 _Leafa giggled weakly. "Asuna..."_

...

But what had been the trigger? For Sinon, she'd needed to see something that reminded her of that moment. But the only thing Kirito could imagine could scare Yui like that was that time she'd mentioned spending in the early game, having to deal with being locked away, forced to watch players suffer and be helpless. That would make sense, Kirito thought, since she was talking about not wanting to go back. She didn't want to get locked away again, he realized. But why would seeing Heathcliff, of all people, have triggered that reaction?

It just didn't make any sense, Kirito thought. Heathcliff was one of the strongest players on the front line. He had never dropped below green health, and he was a user of one of the few Unique Skills in the game. He was a little strange, yeah, but that shouldn't remind Yui of being trapped... In fact, the only thing that Kirito could imagine would send Yui into that kind of panic attack, aside from being trapped again, would be seeing -

No. That couldn't be possible. His heart froze for an instant. It stalled just long enough for his lungs to ache, and then started pounding like a jackhammer. Trying his best to not let what he'd just thought show on his face, he gently sat up and said, "Yui?"

He made sure to speak softly, so as to not wake up the girl if she'd actually fallen asleep, but Yui sat up and stretched, yawning widely. "When waking up, you and my mamas yawn for an average of seven seconds, Papa!" she told him. "So I tried emulating it. It was fun!"

"I can't say I've ever thought yawning was fun, Yui..." His precious little girl. The thought of leaving her was terrible...

Yui giggled. "Well, it was! So, what did you want to ask me, Papa?"

He swallowed. "When... When we clear this game, what happens to you?"

The question hung in the air, and Yui shifted her weight. All at once, Kirito saw the little AI in his daughter rise to the surface. "You don't have to worry about that, Papa," Yui said. "In order to avoid the Cardinal system's detection, I shifted my main program to your NerveGear! My database and storage is all saved off the network. Plus, I took the liberty of adding an item to the guild inventory. If you use the item, it will run my processes. Think of it as waking me up from sleep, if you want."

She smiled so happily that Kirito couldn't help but put his hand on her head. "Good girl," he praised her.

"Eheheheh!"

So... As long as they had that item, they could bring her back. But at the same time, there was no guarantee that there would be another game that would be compatible with SAO's engine. It was still incredibly risky - and what happened if _he_ got disconnected? Would Yui still be safe?

Kirito's mind was whirling with thoughts, until a pair of small hands wrapped around his chest and Yui leaned into his chest, hugging him. "It's okay, Papa," she said. "I think I know why you're asking... and it's okay. I-It's like falling asleep, that's all..."

"Yui..." Kirito hugged her tightly. "I love you so much, Yui. And I know everyone else does too."

"In the end, I'm just an AI... and it's in my core programming to help players," Yui mumbled.

"You're more than an AI, you're our daughter!" Kirito said. "And the others feel the same way. We... We don't want to lose you, Yui!"

"I-I'll just go to sl...sleep, and not get to see you anymore..." Yui sniffled. "Papa... I'm confused. I shouldn't be thinking things like 'I want to stay with them', but I want to!"

"It's okay, Yui, it's okay," he said. "You're not just some program. You're family. If you want to do something, all you need is to say it."

"Papa... I want to stay with you forever!"

As Yui buried her head in his chest and bawled, Kirito stroked her back. This little girl had upended their life. Thanks to her, he was dating... and practically married to six beautiful girls, and everyone loved everyone else. He owed her so much, the least he could do was give her this. While Yui cried, he whispered promises he knew he might have to break, swearing that no matter what, she would be able to stay with them forever.

"Yui," he said once her sobs had dried into soft sniffles and the occasional hiccup. "Do you think I'm right?"

Yui sniffled again and sat back. "I do, Papa. I know you are."

"...Thank you, Yui," he said. "Now, let's go wash your face, okay?"

 _Sniff._ "Uh huh."

* * *

 **April 18th, 2024**

The Teleport Gate flashed with light, and Heathcliff stepped through onto the 22nd Floor. "Sorry to call you out like this, so soon," Kirito said, scratching his cheek.

"It's no problem at all," Heathcliff replied. "It provides me with an opportunity to step away from the paperwork for a moment."

Another point in favor of his deduction, Kirito thought. Even if Yui hadn't confirmed his suspicions, the fact that Heathcliff, possibly the second-strongest player in the game, spent most of his day passively sitting behind a desk instead of fighting on the front lines... It was definitely fishy, and Kirito wasn't talking the kind that he could find in the lake. So he'd sent Heathcliff a message and asked to meet again; then, that morning, he made sure to kiss his loves goodbye and headed out the door.

Without much small talk, Kirito led Heathcliff down the winding path. Most of the time, he would go on walks down this wooden path, the trees on the right and the lake shining with reflected sunlight on the left. Asuna would always insist on getting a piggyback ride, Silica would want to walk hand-in-hand, Argo would cling so tight to him as to be a second skin... He had a month of memories from this place, all of them fantastic.

"If you don't mind me asking," Heathcliff said, breaking the silence for the first time, "where are we going?"

"I just wanted to walk around for a little bit," Kirito admitted. He fished at that pier with Leafa when he'd just started training his Fishing Skill. She laughed at him when he couldn't catch anything at first, he remembered. The clearing was good enough, and he turned to face Heathcliff. "But there are a few question I'd like to ask you."

"Oh?"

"Well, they're more like requests," Kirito said. Heathcliff blinked, but otherwise didn't react. "I'm not planning on dying here today, but if I do, I want you to make sure all the girls won't kill themselves. I don't care what you have to do, but the Royal Blades can't die if I fall." He gritted his teeth. "It's not fair to them, but I won't let them hurt themselves.

"Second, I want to fight you." Kirito's eyes narrowed, and he unsheathed his dual blades. Elucidator was cold in his hand, a heavy weight reminding him of his responsibilities, and Burning Heart was warm to remind him of his relationship with the other. "And if I win, I want everyone trapped in here to be set free."

"I'm sorry, Kirito," Heathcliff said politely if a bit puzzled. "But I don't follow. How would I be able to do any of those things?"

"You're right," Kirito said with a nod. "The leader of the Knights of the Blood wouldn't. But someone with admin privileges would, right? Like the creator of Sword Art Online. Akihiko Kayaba," he spat.

In an instant, something in Heathcliff's demeanor changed. The well-meaning yet slightly overbearing leader of the second-most powerful guild in the game vanished, and was replaced by someone calm, cold, and ruthless. "Ah," Akihiko Kayaba said, wearing the face of a different man. "So you _did_ figure it out. Bravo, Kirito. Well done. If you don't mind satisfying my curiosity, how did you discover the truth?"

"...A lot of small things, actually," Kirito said, tightening his grip on his swords' handles. "The way your health never dropped below half, even against the milestone boss. Your Unique Skill is pretty fishy, too. And every gamer knows that watching someone else play an RPG is pretty boring. But the biggest clue was Yui."

"The girl?"

"Yeah," Kirito said. "Her official title is MHCP001. An AI created by Cardinal. When she saw you, she had a panic attack and kept saying she didn't want to go back to the dark. When I thought about how you'd ordered her to do nothing, to ignore her core programming, even when _players were suffering and dying in front of her-_!" He stopped, taking a deep breath. Don't get upset, he told himself.

Kayaba watched impassively, a detached air about his face. The look of a god, staring down at one of his subjects from an unreachable height.

Once he was pretty sure he had his temper under control, Kirito continued, "I figured that the only person who'd trigger a reaction like that was the one who'd given her that order and trapped her in the first place. And that would have had to be Akihiko Kayaba. You."

"Amazing," Kayaba said, shaking his head. "Truly remarkable. Well then." He slammed his tower shield down in the dirt, staring straight at Kirito. "You are correct. I am Akihiko Kayaba. And it should come as no surprise to you, Kirito, that I'm the final boss of SAO."

Kirito gritted his teeth. "So what? Now that you've admitted it, are you just going to kill me to cover it up?"

"Oh, God no," Heath- _Kayaba_ , Kirito reminded himself, shook his head. "That wouldn't be sporting of me. Not in the slightest. Instead, I have a better idea. I think that I'll leave the front lines and head up to the Ruby Palace on the very top Floor. I will await the clearers there."

"You're just going to run?"

Kayaba opened his menu, extra panels spilling out. The admin menu, Kirito realized. "It is a shame I have to leave so soon. The Knights of the Blood were coming along nicely. Oh well. They're strong enough to stand on their own - and if not, I'm certain the Royal Blades will be able to take them under their wing. But before I go... I'll grant your request," he said. "You wanted to fight me properly, yes?"

"Without your immortality?"

Kayaba nodded. He tapped a button in his menu, and a red hexagon appeared in front of him. 'Changed into Mortal Object', it read. Kirito's heart started racing. This was it, he realized. The one-on-one duel that would free everyone. He couldn't let himself think about what would happen if he failed. "This is interesting," Kayaba said, drawing his own sword and hefting his tower shield. "The player with Dual Blades... The one with the fastest reaction time in the game. You always were intended to be the hero of the story. But you've surpassed all of my expectations and become leader of the most powerful guild in the game. Congratulations, Kirito."

He couldn't help but feel that Kayaba's words were genuine, as twisted as they were. The commander - no, the man in front of him was praising him for his performance in his game.

Whatever. Kirito forced himself to put the words out of his mind and focus on the fight in front of him. He'd already fought Kayaba once before, back on the early Floors, and while he'd been less experienced and powerful then he'd nearly broken through the Holy Sword's defense. He just had to be careful not to use Sword Skills - because Kayaba had designed the game himself, and would know all of the Sword Skills by heart. Kirito remembered that he'd only been making himself vulnerable when he used his Sword Skills back at their first duel, and he didn't expect this to be any different now.

With a shout, he launched himself forward, kicking off the ground. His right sword swept up in a slash that Kayaba blocked, his shield shifting to the side with a spray of sparks, and Kirito used the force to spin, Burning Heart cutting out in a horizontal swipe. It nearly sliced into Kayaba's armor but the older man dodged the blow. Kirito crouched and jumped back as his instincts screamed, and Kayaba's sword slammed down into the ground right where he'd been standing. If he hadn't reacted in time, that would have split him in half! Growling, Kirito dashed forward again and unleashed a combo he'd developed while training at kendo with his sister. It was powerful and even managed to scratch Leafa from time to time.

He jumped in the air at the last second, avoiding the shield bash that he'd seen coming. While in midair, he slashed down with both weapons, cutting at Kayaba's exposed chest. Metal screeched as his blades cut through the metal; Kayaba's armor was top tier or he would have done more than chip damage. Undeterred, Kirito forced his body, now upside down, into the trigger position for Crescent Moon. The Martial Art Sword Skill activated and Kirito kicked in a move straight out a cheesy kung fu movie, flipping his body and slamming his heel into the ground. "Hyah!" He shouted, thrusting forward with Elucidator. The point sliced open Kayaba's cheek, the older man barely getting out of the way in time.

For the first time that fight, Kayaba's eyes had widened. Red polygons floated away from the open wound, and Kirito grinned. His sister could dodge that attack most of the time, but Kayaba had been caught off-guard. He might know all of the Sword Skill combos, but if Kirito fought him under his own power... He wasn't as powerful as his sister, but Kayaba wasn't as good as Sugu either. He could win this!

"Remarkable," Kayaba said. "You truly surpass my every expectation, Kirito."

"Shut up!"

Without pausing for a break, Kirito dashed forward. His swords hammered away at Kayaba's shield, sparks flying from every collision. Kayaba slashed at him and Kirito parried the blow, his swords crossed at the hilt. His health still drained from the impact and he grunted in pain before thrusting Kayaba's sword aside and continuing the assault.

 _Clang clang clang._

Kayaba seemed to be getting his feet under him, though, and his shield was blocking Kirito's every move. Kirito gritted his teeth harder. Faster... He had to be faster! So that he could beat Kayaba and save everyone!

 _Clangclangclang!_

Kirito hammered away, smashing his swords against Kayaba's shield. He tried every trick in the book, and they were working once or twice; a stab to the center of Kayaba's tower shield shifted it to the side and let Kirito slash at his unprotected side, though Kayaba had claimed a wound of his own in return. Kirito took a second to back away when Kayaba swung his heavy longsword and stole a glance at his HP. Just a little bit below yellow... but Kayaba's was a few slivers in the green.

The difference was in their equipment, Kirito realized. He had powerful equipment - his Heart of the Relic breastplate was small but gave him a huge boost to defense, and the Blackwyrm Coat Ashley had made was holding together well - but Kayaba was wearing a set of heavy armor. Plus, his Holy Sword boosted his defense to max.

Kirito shouted a cry and launched himself forward. He had to go even faster! His swords blurred as he swung, searching for any gap in Kayaba's defenses. If he could get just one... good... hit...!

"Haaah!" he shouted, and drew his swords back to strike at Kayaba - and unconsciously, his body fell into the old, familiar position to start his most powerful Dual Blades Sword Skill. In his drive to go as fast as possible, and strike hard, he'd made a mistake.

As his body moved in the system-guided, and most importantly _predictable_ , moves, Kirito felt his chances at winning slip away. Kayaba's face was bored as he took measured steps back, shifting his shield in tiny movements that perfectly countered each of Kirito's swings. He didn't give up, though, moving his body with the motions to speed up and increase the power. It was a simple technique, and one that he'd mastered -

\- and utterly useless against the creator of the game. Kayaba blocked everything perfectly, taking shreds of chip damage, and Kirito finally froze as his Sword Skill ran out and locked him in place. "Game over, Kirito," Kayaba announced, raising his sword over his head. It glowed red, and swung down.

"Don't hurt my brother!"

Kirito's eyes widened and Kayaba's head turned to the side, but before his sword could continue its descent Leafa's katana clashed with it. Glowing sparks flew as she struggled against him, his little sister gritting her teeth with effort. The post-Skill freeze faded and Kirito immediately slashed with his Burning Heart, but Kayaba's Sword Skill had ended as well and he leaned away. The tip of Kirito's blade scraped across Kayaba's armor, finally pushing the man into the yellow.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Kirito panted.

"Idiot!" Leafa snapped, gripping her katana in a ready position. "I'm your sister, of course I'm going to know something's up when you give us all kisses goodbye before leaving! So Argo followed you."

"I didn't notice..."

"Nya hah hah! I'd hope not~!" Argo melted out from the shadows and winked at Kirito. "I'd be ashamed if ya did."

"Sorry we're late," Asuna said as she stepped out and took up a stance beside Kirito, holding her rapier pointed at Kayaba. "Argo had to run back and get us after you challenged Heath... Kayaba to a fight."

"I can't believe it," Lisbeth sighed, shaking her head. "We _trusted_ you! You were someone the clearers could look up to."

"Save your breath." Sinon was sitting in a tree, her bow nocked and aimed at Kayaba. "He doesn't strike me as the type to be remorseful."

Kayaba's eyes swept across the assembled guild, before he shook his head. "The hero's loved ones arrive," he said. "A last-second twist in the narrative. I think we should call the battle here, then -"

"His hands!" Kirito shouted as Kayaba let go of his shield to form the sign that would let him open the menu. "Don't let him open his menu! That's how he uses the admin console!"

Before Kirito had managed to finish the second sentence, Sinon's arrow was already flying through the air. It slammed into Kayaba's arm, damaging him and knocking his hand out of line. Naturally, the system wouldn't recognize such a sloppy movement as a command, and Kayaba's eyes narrowed. "Let's go!" Kirito shouted, and the girls shouted back.

"Fine, have it your way," Kayaba declared, raising his shield and sword again.

Before he could do more than bring it back behind his head, the blade glowing, Kirito heard someone's voice. "Over here!" Silica shouted, and a wave rippled through the air. Kayaba grunted as his body stiffened, a massive speed penalty being applied because he targeted someone other than Silica. "Quick, while he's slowed!"

"On it!" Asuna's rapier flashed out, and like a thousand shooting stars her Linears filled the air, colored lines converging on Kayaba's form. He couldn't react to her lightning speed and red slashes littered his body. "Liz, you're up!"

"Switch!" The blacksmith jumped, hammer held over her head, and slammed it down with a thunderous crash. Her strength was amazing, but Kayaba had managed to get his tower shield in the way in time. Of course, sheer power wasn't what Lisbeth's goal was. "Now!"

Argo darted in, cloak rippling around her form, and ducked low. She tucked into a roll, wicked claws slashing out, digging into Kayaba's heels while he was unable to respond. He grunted and was forced to take a knee, the system recognizing the damage as enough to weaken his leg. "Get 'im!"

"Right!" Kirito nodded to his sister, and she smiled. Together, the Kirigaya siblings drew their blades back and charged forward. His blades glowed yellow, energy jumping like a solar prominence and lightning on his Burning Heart and Elucidator, and her katana sparkled a radiant green. They slashed, both of them slashing down perfectly -

\- and they slowed to a halt a few steps past Kayaba, frozen in place. They didn't worry about being attacked from behind; the others would never let that happen.

After a second of his heart hammering in his ears, Kirito turned to see Kayaba kneeling in place. Three lines crossed his whole body, forming a six-pointed star that centered right over his heart. He watched as the outline of Kayaba's body shimmered, fuzzing around the edges for a second like a low-quality video transmission. The man's head fell forward, eyes closed like he was asleep, and his health drained... until Kayaba's health bar disappeared with a quiet beep that everyone heard.

"We... did it," Asuna breathed.

Everyone else was silent, staring at the man that had trapped them in the death game. His avatar glowed white, nearly blinding them, until it shattered with the sound of breaking glass. Blue polygons, the same cheap effect that happened when any regular mob had been killed, floated up in the sky.

" _On April 18th, at 11:35 AM, the game has been cleared,_ " a pleasantly neutral female voice said. The voice was sourceless but echoed through the air. " _Repeat: the game has been cleared._ "

...

Kazuto opened his eyes, and everything was so blindingly bright that he closed them again. He blinked, his eyes slowly adjusting, and when he could see he realized that the roof overhead wasn't the log cabin that he'd grown used to having overhead. Instead of brown wooden planks, he looked up at a smooth grey ceiling dotted with brightly glowing fluorescent lights. It was harsher than the warm lamp he'd grown used to, living at the Log Cabin.

His head turned to the right, feeling heavier than it had for two years. It stopped before he'd fully turned, leaving him staring at the corner of the room, but he could still see the wall. A window had its curtains drawn back to let light into the room, too bright for him to see outside. It hurt to look at, a little bit. So Kazuto turned his head the other way. The struggle only took a second before his head stopped again. This time, out of the corner of his eye he could see a bed to his left, and a little bit past that a doorway.

He let his head fall back to the pillow. This was... the real world, he realized. He was lying in a hospital bed. As he slowly became aware of the antiseptic smell, he lifted his right hand up in front of his face. It was... healthier than he'd expected. He'd expected it to be almost skeletal, but somehow his body was more or less the same as it had been when he'd first logged into SAO with his sister and best friend.

Sugu... Asuna... All at once, the last few moments of his time in Aincrad rushed back to him. They'd been standing in the clearing where the combat that decided their fates had finished, and they'd heard that strange announcement... and then everything had gone white. The Royal Blades had found themselves standing in the sky, orange clouds swirling below as the castle Aincrad crumbled away and fell into oblivion. Kayaba had been there, too; not as his avatar, but the young inventor Kazuto remembered staring at pictures of as he pored over the man's few interviews. They'd had a chance to ask a few questions, but... hadn't really received any satisfying answers before Kayaba announced that his time was up.

Still, that wasn't important. What was important that they'd promised that they'd find each other in the real world, and then they'd fall in love all over again. Asuna, Sugu, Kana, Shino, Rika, and Keiko...

Kazuto sat up in bed, his body following his mind's orders after only a second. But marveling at his surprising fitness after being in a two-year coma was the last thing on his mind. He reached up with his hands and groped at his head, exploring the NerveGear strapped securely to his head. He clicked the strap around the base of his chin and pulled it off; for the first time in two years, he was free. Long black hair spilled down his back, ending at his shoulders. He smiled weakly. Right, he thought. Two years... Of course his hair would grow.

The sound of a bed shifting made him turn to the side, and his heart leapt into his throat at the sight of his beloved sister staring back at him. "Sugu..." he croaked out, throat unused to making sounds.

He saw her lips move and knew somehow that she'd said his name. The world was silent, but that didn't matter. She was thin and some of her defined muscle had faded, but to Kazuto she looked absolutely beautiful. He set his NerveGear helmet aside and swung his legs out to the bed. He took a second to test his weight, and when they would support him he stumbled across the tiny gap and fell into Sugu's waiting arms.

He was never going to let her go, he promised himself. Not Sugu, and not any of the girls.

* * *

 **That's it, folks. Kayaba defeated, game over!**

 **I decided to dedicate a large chunk of the chapter to showing how the Royal Blades live together because that's what the story is mostly about. They're a family, not just a group of girls all interested in the same guy, and I wanted their interactions to show that. So, most of the time Kirito is talking to girls one-on-one and they're chatting with each other. Or, in Argo's case, flirting with Asuna.**

 **Yes the resolution to the story is abrupt, but with how things happened I think it was natural. Once Heathcliff showed up, I knew that Yui would have to react to that; considering how she had her freakout in canon, I figured it was justified. Once that happened, the dominos just started falling into place and things escalated.**

 **The fight with Kayaba I knew was going to end with all the girls showing up and having a big fight together. And if you say that Kayaba went down too easily, it was seven on one and he was surrounded. There was nothing he could do. (Besides, it meant that everyone got to show off a little bit.)**

 **I decided to skip over Kayaba's little speech at the end of the game for a few reasons, but chief among them is that nothing new would have happened? Basically it's his question/answer session followed by the Royal Blades sharing their real names with each other so they can find each other in the real world. (and don't worry, the Kirigaya's weirdly in-shape bodies will be explained next chapter.)**


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

* * *

 **May 18th, 2024**

Kazuto collapsed onto the couch, his arms and legs burning. "Ugh..." he groaned. "Physical therapy suuucks."

"Don't complain," Suguha said as she took a seat next to him. She sat properly for a few seconds before slumping to the side, laying her head across his lap. He smiled down at her, and she grinned back. "You're not the one who has to get back in shape for kendo."

"I'm doing the same workout you are," he protested, running his fingers through her hair. "So you don't have an excuse either."

"Yeah, well, I still have further to go."

The two siblings sat on the couch, nursing their exhausted muscles. Kazuto kept playing with Suguha's hair, stroking it idly. After the two of them had their reunion in the hospital, nurses rushed into the room. When he'd gotten out of bed, he'd detached some electrodes or something, and it was sounding an alarm. Since their hearing hadn't quite returned, the siblings hadn't noticed. Fortunately, it wasn't anything serious, and the only thing they'd had to do was suffer being separated and put back to separate beds. They were still in the same room, at least.

Suguha was still really upset when the nurses wouldn't let her cuddle with him in one bed together. 'The beds are too small, and we don't want any of the tubes tangled', apparently. Not even her best pouts would get them to agree.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of his sister in the bed next to him, arms crossed in a thoroughly disgruntled pout, and Suguha looked up at him. "Something funny?"

"No, no," he said. "Just thinking about how much I love you, that's all."

"Mm... Same here," she said with a grin. He watched as she lifted her head up a bit, then fell back to his lap. "...Uh. Hnn!" She tried again, getting a little bit more height before falling back. "Hnnn!" Her cheeks puffed out in an adorable pout.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to kiss you!"

"Just sit up like a normal person, you weirdo..."

"But it was gonna be cute and romantic," Sugu complained. "This sucks."

Kazuto smiled and leaned down. His sister giggled and managed to lift her head just enough to steal a kiss from his lips. "There, happy now?" he asked. Sugu nodded happily, her cheeks red, and he shook his head. "And you were cute even without that," he muttered, his own cheeks burning.

"Really?" Sugu giggled. "I'm glad to hear that... I thought I wasn't going to like leaving my hair this long because it would get in the way during kendo, but if you like it..."

Naturally, his sister's hair had grown way too long during their time in Aincrad, so the siblings had gone to their favorite hairdresser to get it taken care of. That was, of course, Asuna, who'd thoroughly enjoyed cutting the siblings' hair back before SAO. Plus, it was great to see Asuna again. Kazuto had asked her to return him to his usual style, ignoring Suguha's sly teasing comments that he should leave it long so they could pass as sisters, but Suguha had chosen to leave it a little longer, the ends of her black locks brushing her shoulders. She still wore her favorite metal clips to keep her bangs out of her face though.

The haircut had taken a while, Asuna's hands lingering on their heads and gently caressing their cheeks from time to time, but Kazuto wasn't sure if that was because she was just as weak as they were, or because Asuna had shown signs of Kirigaya withdrawal...

"Hey, breakfast is almost ready!"

Kazuto and Suguha both twitched, looking towards the sounds of their mother's voice. "Huh?" Kazuto said. H-He hadn't realized she was in there! Did she see the two of them kiss, he wondered. Then again, if she had, she would have said something, so she must not have caught them. That was a close one, he thought.

Midori smiled at the two of them from the kitchen, where delicious smells were wafting their way. His stomach growled, and he realized that he was starving. "Go ahead and get clean," their mom said. "Breakfast will be on the table when you don't stink."

"I don't stink!" Suguha protested. "...Do I, Kazuto?" He looked away, scratching his cheek instead of answering. "Wh-wh-why didn't you tell me?! You jerk! Ugh, stupid rehab and stupid physical therapist..."

"Be glad the Yuukis helped cover the cost of the hospital and insisted that their daughter's best friends get the best treatment," Midori told her. "You'd be in a lot worse shape otherwise."

"I know, I know..." Groaning, Suguha pushed herself up to a properly seated position. "C'mon, Kazuto! Let's go take a bath. I'll wash your back for you..."

The seductive tone in her voice was totally unnecessary; he would have agreed even without her saying anything like that. "Yeah, let's go take that bath," he said. He pushed himself to his feet, his slightly stiff muscles burning with the effort. His sister looked up at him with pleading eyes and he sighed before extending a hand that she used to pull herself up. Naturally, she 'lost her balance' and clung to him for a second, burying her face in the crook of his neck; Kazuto coughed when he felt her hands drifting lower down his back and Suguha pulled away with a knowing grin.

"I'll go start filling the tub," she said, walking away, and Kazuto wasn't ashamed to admit that his eyes followed the swing of her hips as she disappeared upstairs.

As he was about to follow her, though, Midori coughed. "Kazuto," she said, "can I talk to you for a second?"

"Huh? Yeah, sure Mom." After rounding the couch, he sat down at the dining room table. "What did you want?"

His mother started chopping something on the cutting board, focusing on that task for several silent seconds. Kazuto couldn't help but imagine Asuna was standing there, cooking for him and the others - "You know she's not your sister," Midori said.

Kazuto froze, but then relaxed. "Yeah," he said. "And she knows too."

"I'm the one who told her," Midori said. Kazuto blinked. He'd never actually thought about how Sugu learned the truth, come to think of it. It made sense that it was Mom, he thought. "But I can't see you two acting the way you've been acting if you didn't know yourself."

"Huh?"

Midori smiled. "Oh, did you two think your mother wouldn't notice when her son and daughter started dating?" Kazuto blushed at the frank statement. "Please, I knew you two were an item the instant we got home. Sugu hasn't complained about not getting to sleep in your bed for years, and now she's making a fuss about moving back into your room as soon as you two come home from the hospital? Besides, your eyes are way too honest, boy."

Kazuto blushed harder. "I, um..."

"Kazuto, breathe," Midori said with a smile. "If I had a problem with your relationship, I would have said something earlier. I just wanted you to know so you stop trying to sneak around."

"...Thanks, Mom," he said. But he'd thought they were being subtle! Kissing only in the dojo where Midori didn't go, and making sure that she was asleep before climbing in bed with each other. Sure, there were the occasional moments when they lost track of where they were, like earlier, but they didn't happen _that_ often!

"Thank me by taking a bath, brat," she said with a grin. "I can smell you from here." Kazuto rolled his eyes and stood up, making his way to the door. "And Kazuto," Midori called out. "I may be okay with this, but that doesn't mean I want to be a grandmother until you two are out of college!"

"M-Mom!" he protested, before fleeing upstairs as his mom laughed in the kitchen. At least he could relax a little bit in the bath - or, well, relax a _little_ bit. He had a feeling he knew what was waiting for him once he went into the bathroom, a feeling confirmed when he noticed Suguha's workout clothes tossed into the hamper for dirty laundry.

...

"Haah..." Kazuto sighed, rubbing a towel in his hair to dry it. "That was nice."

"Hmm hmm!" Suguha nodded happily, blow-drying her hair. The siblings were standing back to back to get out of the bath quicker, not really bothering with awkwardness around each other's naked form. Suguha was using the mirror to make sure she got her hair dry properly; Kazuto had lost the rock-paper-scissors match earlier, after all. "I love taking baths with you, Kazuto."

"Me too," he said, before wrapping his towel around his waist. "I'm dried off. Did you keep a spare set of clothes here, or do you want me to grab you something once I'm done changing?" Kazuto knew that his sister would take a lot longer to fully dry her hair, so this was a routine question for the siblings.

"Umm... Can you get me some underwear and my red shirt? I think I only have one, so it should be obvious," Suguha said. "And a skirt."

"Yes ma'am," he said with a smile, heading out of the bathroom. He visited his room first, long enough to get dressed, then headed into his sister's room to get the articles of clothing requested. This wasn't the first time that he'd seen it recently, but he smiled when he saw the stuffed animal collection displayed proudly on her desk and dresser.

After both siblings were decent - or, at the very least, dressed - and well-fed, they collapsed on the couch again. "I'm stuffed," Suguha said. This time, the positions were reversed; Kazuto's head was comfortably on her lap, and she was playing with his hair.

"The doctors said we have to eat a lot to make up for the nutrition deficiencies," Kazuto said, eyes half-closed from the pleasure of her fingers lightly scratching at his scalp. "So that's why Mom's making a lot of food."

"I know, I know. Wanna play a game?"

"Co-op, or versus?"

"Mmm... Co-op, but the person with the lower score has to obey an order from the winner."

"You're on," Kazuto said with a grin. It hadn't been long before the two of them were back to playing games together, he thought as Suguha got up (ruining his comfortable pillow) and started fussing with the wires. They'd lasted maybe a week or two before the itch got to be too much and they broke out the consoles. But not the NerveGears; Kazuto had managed to keep his by answering questions of a government agent that came to talk to him, though Asuna had it at the moment. Still, he wasn't going to be putting that helmet on for a long time...

Kazuto and Suguha were both laser-focused on the game, their scores neck and neck, when someone knocked on the door. Kazuto reflexively looked over, only to realize his mistake when Suguha let out a cheer. "Yes!" she crowed, and he looked back to see that in that brief moment of distraction she'd managed to win the level. He was never going to be able to come back from this... "I win!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll do whatever you say later," Kazuto groaned. "Let me get the door, first."

He pushed himself to his feet and walked over. Peeking through the nearby window was enough to confirm who'd knocked, and he opened the door. Asuna stood there, absolutely beautiful even despite how she was leaning on crutches. The siblings each had a pair of their own, though they weren't necessary for walking around the house. "Asuna!" he exclaimed, and stepped back. He offered her a hand, and the beautiful girl accepted his help to step inside. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Wha- Sugu didn't warn you?" Asuna blinked. "Sugu!"

"Eheh... Sorry, Asuna," Suguha said. "It slipped my mind."

"Honestly..." Asuna shook her head. "Well, it's good to see you again." She smiled at him and leaned forward; Kazuto didn't need more prompting, and he eagerly kissed his girlfriend.

Suddenly Suguha gulped. "Um... Hi Mom," she said. Kazuto froze and pulled away; Asuna let out a tiny mewl of irritation, before blushing as she realized what she'd just done. He looked to the side to see his mother staring in undisguised shock, eyes wide at his display of affection.

"Kazuto Kirigaya, what on _Earth do you think you're doing to that girl -_ "

"Mom, wait, it's not what you think!" Suguha exclaimed. "Kazuto's dating both of us, so it's okay that he's kissing Asuna! It's not like he's cheating on me or anything."

Midori blinked at Suguha's... blunt explanation. Kazuto just sighed and shook his head. "I'm... glad you all care about each other... I'm going to go watch some TV until my children's relationship starts making sense."

"...Are you going to tell her about the other girls?" Asuna whispered quietly as Midori went into the living room.

Kazuto looked at Sugu, and his sister immediately said, "That's my order, you have to be the one to tell her." His sister was brutal!

Asuna giggled. "Oh, before I forget, my parents wanted to see you later. I don't know why, though. I'm sure it's nothing bad."

"Um, if you say so," Kazuto said, scratching his cheek. "I really wish you knew if I was in trouble or anything like that…"

"You're fine," Asuna said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "That can wait, though. I brought a surprise first."

"Oh yeah, you mentioned that when we were texting yesterday," Suguha said. "What is it? I wanna see, I wanna see!"

"Here!" Kazuto stared at the object in Asuna's hands. "Well?" she said. "Go on, take it, Kazuto!"

"Why are you handing me your phone?"

Asuna sighed and shoved it at him. "Just take it, silly."

"Uh, okay." Kazuto accepted her phone gingerly, staring at it. "So, what am I -"

 _Bzzzt bzzzt._

Kazuto jumped as the phone suddenly vibrated in his hand. The caller was unknown, so it wasn't one of the girls... "Well, answer it," Asuna said. "It's for you."

He stared at her, but his girlfriend simply smiled at him. The phone kept vibrating in his hand, and he reluctantly answered the phone call. What the heck was she talking about? How would the phone call be for him, when it was her phone? He wasn't sure. "Hello?"

"Hi Papa!"

For a second his heart stopped. And then it started up again, and he couldn't stop a goofy smile from spreading across his face. "Yui?" Suguha's eyes lit up at the name. "Yui, is that you?"

"Uh huh! I missed you, Papa."

"Put her on speaker, quick!" Kazuto hurried to comply with Suguha's request. "Yui, are you there?"

"Leafa-mama! I missed you too!"

Suguha whirled on Asuna. "How?! Yui's data... It was only compatible with the Cardinal System, wasn't it?"

"Well, yes," Asuna admitted, twirling a lock of hair around one finger, "but my father runs the company that took over maintaining the SAO servers while everyone was trapped in the game. Once we beat it, he decided to take the engine and make it into something new."

"Asuna-mama's right!" Yui chirped. "Right now, I'm running as a helpful navigation pixie!"

Asuna giggled. "She's really cute in her fairy form."

"Fairy? Navigation pixie?" Kazuto asked. "What are you talking about?"

Asuna smiled and grabbed his hand. "There's a new game coming out," she told him. "And we're all gonna play it together. It's called ALfheim Online, and my father's company is producing it for the new AmuSphere. You get to fly through the air on your own set of wings!"

"Whoa... That sounds amazing!" Suguha's eyes were practically sparkling. "I can't wait to play it!"

"Then let's go! The others are meeting us at the Dicey Cafe."

"Agil's place?" Kazuto asked her.

Asuna nodded. "Yep! That's where the first strategy meeting for the new Royal Blades is going to be held. You don't want to be late to your meeting, do you, guildmaster?"

Kazuto smiled. Suguha hugged him from the right, wrapping her arms around his elbow without disturbing Yui's phone, and Asuna embraced his left side. "Alright, let's get to it!"

* * *

 **And with that, we're done!**

 **Before anything else, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone that read this story. It means a lot to know you all enjoy reading my writing.**

 **Anyway! That's out of the way. This was deliberately written to be similar to the first chapter, with its focus on just Kazuto, Asuna, and Suguha (though, since I want it to be fair, focusing on Sugu over Asuna). Though, there are a few small differences between then and now… Sugu's hairstyle was inspired by some fan art I saw of her with Kazuto when both of them are older, so I figured she'd take this chance to change her style a bit.**

 **Also, Yui is back! Of course she'd be fine.**

 **Other things that happened off-screen: Yuuki and Ran are perfectly happy and healthy, no problems there; Sugou got hit by a car and is in a permanent coma, so the Yuukis are looking for a new fiancé for Asuna; and Kayaba uploaded his brain to the network. But that didn't matter to these idiot children and their flirting, so we've moved past it! I left the end fairly open-ended for a reason - I don't think I ever will, but if I want to, I can use this as a launching point for a sequel.  
**

 **(Speaking of sequels: At the moment I have no plans to continue with it into Alfheim or Alicization. Sorry to everyone that wanted to see Yuuki or Alice, but that's probably not happening. And the more you ask, the less likely it becomes.)**

* * *

 **Again, I just want to give a huge thank you to everyone that's read this, whether you left a review or not (though bigger thank you's to the people that did, obviously). You're all amazing, and most of the time I love reading the reviews I get, positive and negative alike.**

 **I really like how this story came out, in the end. I'd like to think I got better about the mistakes I made during Sister Overload (namely, abruptly killing off characters for no reason at all other than ~** _ **drama**_ **~ and actually having the harem ending not be out of nowhere) and have continued to improve.**

 **This story was more or less started at the drop of a hat, out of a whim, and for the most part it went well, I hope. I tried to keep the focus tight on the characters, tried to make sure their character arcs all ended at the late stages of the plot, tried to make sure the harem ending was believable… Hopefully I succeeded, and this is something you don't mind rereading from time to time.**

 **Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, and reviewed!**

* * *

 **Also check it out, there's a TvTropes page for the story now! Thanks to anyone who helps fill it out!**


End file.
